With the UFC having now secured a new broadcasting deal with ESPN from 2019 onwards, Dana White recently admitted that ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ show may finally be on its way out after a 27season series run.
As such, now seems like a good time to take a look back at what has become of every single one of the long-running show’s 35 ‘Ultimate Fighter’ winners to date.
Find out what your favorite past winners of TUF are up to now:
SEASON 1
Diego Sanchez
It’s a testament to Diego Sanchez’s durability that 13 years after winning TUF season 1 he remains the only fighter from that historic series to still be actively competing in the UFC, having amassed 27 fights (16-11) to date.
However, after suffering back-to-back first-round knockouts in his last two fights, it’s possible that the 36-year-old’s memorable career is now entering its final stages, though Sanchez has assured his fans that, “I’m not done yet.”
Forrest Griffin
Arguably TUF’s most iconic winner, Griffin’s fight with Stephan Bonner in the Season 1 finale was declared as the most important fight in UFC history by Dana White, while he’d also go on to win the light-heavyweight title too.
Griffin retired in 2013 at the age of 33 due to chronic injuries, but he’s since been inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame and now works for the UFC as their Vice President of Athletic Development.
Even as someone who follows the sports as closely as I do, I would be remiss to say that I could regularly identify more fighters on the average UFC card than I could not these days. With over 550 fighters on their roster, the UFC is becoming an increasingly sink-or-swim promotion with little room for error, which doesn’t exactly help fighters still in need of development upon being signed by the world’s premiere organization (ie. TUF stars, unheralded prospects, late replacement opponents, etc.). Nor does it help mid-level MMA bloggers keep track of who’s coming and going.
Earlier this month, the UFC released TUF 13 finalist Ramsey Nijem along with Elias Silverio, Jorge Oliveira, and Nazareno Malegarie, which more or less proves my point (of those four, I only recognize the first two). Late last week, TUF 19 middleweight winner Eddie Gordon was cut following 3 straight losses, as was Christos Giagos (1-2), Matt Van Buren (0-2), and Roger Narvaez (1-2). The most interesting thing to come out of that bit of news was Giagos’ claim that he was released as a result of the UFC “over-booking” their roster and needing to make some cuts as a result, which coincided with an unconfirmed Swedish report that the UFC would be cutting a total of 50 fighters.
Marcus Brimage and Chris Clements announced their releases shortly thereafter, and today, UFCFIGHTERSINFO announced the deletion of some 17 more profiles from the UFC’s fighter database, meaning almost surely that said fighters are no longer under UFC contract. Those fighters are…
Even as someone who follows the sports as closely as I do, I would be remiss to say that I could regularly identify more fighters on the average UFC card than I could not these days. With over 550 fighters on their roster, the UFC is becoming an increasingly sink-or-swim promotion with little room for error, which doesn’t exactly help fighters still in need of development upon being signed by the world’s premiere organization (ie. TUF stars, unheralded prospects, late replacement opponents, etc.). Nor does it help mid-level MMA bloggers keep track of who’s coming and going.
Earlier this month, the UFC released TUF 13 finalist Ramsey Nijem along with Elias Silverio, Jorge Oliveira, and Nazareno Malegarie, which more or less proves my point (of those four, I only recognize the first two). Late last week, TUF 19 middleweight winner Eddie Gordon was cut following 3 straight losses, as was Christos Giagos (1-2), Matt Van Buren (0-2), and Roger Narvaez (1-2). The most interesting thing to come out of that bit of news was Giagos’ claim that he was released as a result of the UFC “over-booking” their roster and needing to make some cuts as a result, which coincided with an unconfirmed Swedish report that the UFC would be cutting a total of 50 fighters.
Marcus Brimage and Chris Clements announced their releases shortly thereafter, and today, UFCFIGHTERSINFO announced the deletion of some 17 more profiles from the UFC’s fighter database, meaning almost surely that said fighters are no longer under UFC contract. Those fighters are…
Ivan Jorge: 2-2 UFC record, most recently submitted by Joseph Duffy at Fight Night 72
Pawel Pawlak: 1-2, last dropped a unanimous decision to Leon Edwards at Fight Night 72
Hernani Perpetuo: 0-2, last dropped a UD to Tim Means at UFC on FOX 12
Vagner Rocha: 0-1 in his second UFC stint, 1-4 overall, choked out by Jake Matthews at Fight Night 55
David Michaud: 1-2, last suffered a third round submission loss to Olivier Aubin-Mercier at UFC 186
Naoyuki Kotani: 0-3, with losses to Norman Parke, Yan Cabral, and Kajan Johnson
Amir Sadollah: The charismatic TUF7 has been sadly plagued by injuries for the majority of his career, which he has fought exclusively in the UFC. After returning from a two-year layoff in 2014, Sadollah dropped a unanimous decision to Yoshihiro Akiyama and has not competed since.
Luke Zachrich: 1-2, was last submitted by Daniel Kelly at Fight Night 55
TJ Waldburger: 1-3 in his last 4 (4-4 overall), has not competed since a TKO loss to Mike Pyle in February of last year
Lewis Gonzalez: 0-1, dropped a unanimous decision to Leandro Silva at Fight Night 70.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Soa Palelei also announced his retirement from the sport amidst the rash of firings. While I wouldn’t imagine that he was on the chopping block, having gone 4-2 in his second UFC stint with 4 finishes, he was on the heels of a tough loss to Bigfoot Silva, so who knows. Regardless, “The Hulk” took to Twitter to thank the UFC for the opportunities they gave him.
I want to take an opportunity to officially announce my retirement from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Thank you to the UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and Joe Silva for giving me a second chance to fight for the organization. I’ve had a great time, but feel it’s time to focus on my family and other career interests. After several months of thought and discussion with my family and my team, we realize our future includes many things in MMA, but active competition in the sport is no longer one of them. This isn’t goodbye, as I will still be very much involved in the sport but just not as a fighter. I want to help further MMA around the world and give my contribution to the sport. I know that I have, and will continue to contribute much to the growth of our sport outside of the Octagon. Stay tuned guys as there is still so much more to come from “The Hulk” ?#?WatchThisSpace? ?#?MuchLove
A career in the fight business is one that comes with a fair amount of give and take.
On one side of the scale, there is money and a notable amount of fame or public recognition that will hopefully yield other opportunities to make more of the prior, b…
A career in the fight business is one that comes with a fair amount of give and take.
On one side of the scale, there is money and a notable amount of fame or public recognition that will hopefully yield other opportunities to make more of the prior, but on the opposite side, there are physical tolls where payments are required.
Fighting is a gritty trade by nature, but it’s hardly the bumps, bruises and abrasions suffered on fight night in the quest for glory that linger. Those wounds heal rather quickly in most cases, and what amplified adrenaline won’t take care of in the immediate aftermath, a few days of “R and R” certainly will.
That said, the road traveled just to make it to the bright lights on the contracted date is often times a rigorous journey and one AmirSadollah knows all too well.
With a fighting style that favored the scrap and an offbeat but humorous personality, The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 winner immediately became a fan favorite when he emerged on the scene in 2008. Immediately following his stint on the reality-based fighting program, the New York native dropped down a weight class and jumped into the deep waters of the UFC’s welterweight division. The next four years would come with a mixture of victories and setbacks, but all the gym time in between those showings started to add up in a major way.
When the Xtreme Couture fighter steps in to face YoshihiroAkiyama at Fight Night 52 this Saturday night in Saitama, Japan, it will be the first live action the 34-year-old has seen in over two years. That is a long time to be away from any professional realm as an athlete, but Sadollah isn’t one to focus on the negative.
Instead, the Las Vegas transplant found a few silver linings to latch onto along the way and feels his time on the sidelines allowed him to get things back to where they needed to be.
“I was just talking to my coach the other day about how the fight game is just as much mental as it is physical,” Sadollah told Bleacher Report.
“It was unfortunate to be on the shelf as long as I have been, but I’ve also been fortunate to still be in the game here and there. I was able to teach a little bit at a school in New York, and even though I was physically unable to fight, that helped me participate and stay connected to fighting.
“You do what you can, but some times you actually learn more from a break. When you step away from things then come back, things can look a little more clear than they once did.
“That time away also showed me just how banged up I really was. But hot yoga is the secret. For real, man. I believe in it as much as I can believe in anything and tell as many people as I can about it. For some reason it’s not the easiest thing for people to get into, but once you do, it is really great for you. It doesn’t help so much with the martial arts side of things but everything else I think it does.
“I’ve categorized this in my mind where it’s not a comeback or a fresh start, it’s just all cumulative,” he added. “Life is crazy, and I see everything that happens as all being a part of the journey if that makes sense.”
When Sadollah does finally make his return to the sport’s biggest stage this Saturday night, it will come against an opponent who has also been out of action for quite some time. The last event where Akiyama‘s name was on the billing came at UFC 144 back in February 2012, when he lost a unanimous decision to Jake Shields in his official welterweight debut.
Nevertheless, Sadollah is expecting the storied Japanese fighter to bring his signature brand of intensity to the fight, and he believes their respective styles are a solid formula for an entertaining tilt for the fans. Yet, in addition to the possibility of an interesting stylistic squabble, Sadollah is also prepared to face the legendary handsomeness “Sexiyama” brings to the table.
While preparing for such an attribute is an unorthodox practice, the former TUF winner believes he has his own firepower in that department.
“I’m excited about the fight and think it’s a really great matchup,” Sadollah said. “We both like to scrap, and that should make an exciting fight for the fans. I’m really amped up to fight. I’ve always wanted to fight in Japan, and Akiyama is a great opponent to do that with. I’m looking forward to getting out there and mixing it up with him.
“As soon as I heard about the fight I was excited. Anytime you can go out there and fight a guy that has a name or notoriety in this sport, and do it in a place like Japan, those things would be impossible for me not to get excited about. I think it’s going to be a good one.
“I don’t think his handsomeness is going to help,” he added. “I don’t know if it’s going to hurt, but I’m pretty damn handsome myself so we’ll see how that is going to affect him. When you have two handsome immovable objects collide…we are just going to have to see what happens. It could just be a freakin‘ spectacular display of handsomeness.”
Returning to the Octagon is a moment Sadollah has been looking forward to for the past two years, but competing in Japan is something he’s had on his wish list since his MMA career began. Both of those milestones will become reality on Sept. 20, and Sadollah isn’t one to let opportunity slip through his fingers.
He acknowledges the hectic nature of fight week will limit his time to take in the wonders Japan has to offer, but if he gets the chance to let all of his talents shine, he intends to leave the Japanese people with the show they have all been waiting for.
“I’m going there to fight, so I’m obviously excited about that, but I’ve always wanted to go to Japan and I’ve always appreciated the Japanese culture,” Sadollah said. “Granted, being in a place during fight week isn’t the same as going to visit, but I’m definitely looking forward to taking in as much as I can. I just may go to one of those karaoke bars people are always talking about and just belt out something amazing.
“That’s a damn fine question and one I can answer. I would start with ‘Come on Eileen,’ then I’d bring the house down with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen. I like to get everyone going then bring it to a dramatic close, and what better way to do than with that song? I would also like to say I’d throw in some Michael Jackson in between, but that’s hard to pull off for anyone that isn’t me.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
“I tried to punch him and he literally moved his head out of the way and looked at me like I was stupid for doing it. He looked at me like, ‘Why would you do such a stupid thing?’ He looked at me like, ‘Oh, did you really think you were going to hit me? What a stupid thing to think you slow, slow white boy,’ and then he punched me. I felt embarrassed for even trying to punch him. I felt like some kid trying to wrestle with his dad.”
That’s how UFC light-heavyweight Forrest Griffindescribed his painful run-in with Anderson Silva, which happened exactly four years ago today, on August 8th, 2009. The infamous one-rounder took place during UFC 101: Declaration at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, an event that was headlined by BJ Penn‘s second lightweight title defense against Kenny Florian. (The Silva vs. Griffin non-title fight was slotted in the co-main event; to date, it was the only fight in Silva’s UFC career that wasn’t a main event.)
Besides the incredible/humiliating knockout in the co-main event, UFC 101 was notable for a few other reasons. For instance…
(Photo via Getty. Click to enlarge.)
“I tried to punch him and he literally moved his head out of the way and looked at me like I was stupid for doing it. He looked at me like, ‘Why would you do such a stupid thing?’ He looked at me like, ‘Oh, did you really think you were going to hit me? What a stupid thing to think you slow, slow white boy,’ and then he punched me. I felt embarrassed for even trying to punch him. I felt like some kid trying to wrestle with his dad.”
That’s how UFC light-heavyweight Forrest Griffindescribed his painful run-in with Anderson Silva, which happened exactly four years ago today, on August 8th, 2009. The infamous one-rounder took place during UFC 101: Declaration at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, an event that was headlined by BJ Penn‘s second lightweight title defense against Kenny Florian. (The Silva vs. Griffin non-title fight was slotted in the co-main event; to date, it was the only fight in Silva’s UFC career that wasn’t a main event.)
– UFC 101 marked the promotional debut of then-undefeated welterweight Johny Hendricks, who had just completed a two-fight stint in the WEC. Hendricks’s first Octagon appearance was a successful one, as he TKO’d Amir Sadollah in just 29 seconds. Ten fights later, Hendricks has earned a shot at the welterweight world title against Georges St. Pierre, the same guy who was holding the belt back in August 2009.
– Rousimar Palhares was supposed to fight on the card against Alessio Sakara, but had to withdraw due to a broken leg, and was replaced by Thales Leites. Sakara won by split-decision, and Leites was fired by the UFC — just four months after he had fought Anderson Silva for the middleweight title. Luckily, he made his way back.
(Fortunately, Michael Jackson was able to shake his “hard-partying ladies man” image. / Check out even more WTF-worthy celebrity photos at WorldWideInterweb)
(Fortunately, Michael Jackson was able to shake his “hard-partying ladies man” image. / Check out even more WTF-worthy celebrity photos at WorldWideInterweb)
When the UFC first announced that Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic would be the main event of yesterday’s UFC on FUEL 5, most of us assumed that the fight would serve as a coming out party for Stipe Miocic. Even though he hadn’t faced any big names in his UFC career, the heavy-handed prospect certainly looked like he was Cleveland’s next best hope for a champion. Putting Stipe in the cage with a fighter that (arguably) has a weak chin could produce a highlight reel knockout and put Miocic “in the mix” at the heavyweight division.
Except that didn’t happen. Miocic managed to land some heavy shots throughout the fight, but in the end Struve proved to be too much, earning the TKO in the second round. While Miocic outworked Struve throughout the first round, Stipe Miocic had no answers for the lanky heavyweight’s offense once Struve actually started using his jab. Sorry, Cleveland, but you really should have seen this one coming.
This isn’t meant to take anything away from Stefan Struve, as he looked pretty impressive with his victory. Any questions about his chin seemed to be answered yesterday, as he weathered some heavy punches on his way to earning the TKO. And forgive us if we’re harping on this, but when Struve actually uses his jab, he’s a completely different fighter. His lanky attack creates problems for everyone in the heavyweight division, warranting a post-fight comparison to Jon Jones from Chael Sonnen (except Chael added that Struve has twice the courage of Jon Jones, naturally). The twenty four year old fighter improves to 9-3 in the UFC, and is currently riding a four fight win streak.
When the UFC first announced that Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic would be the main event of yesterday’s UFC on FUEL 5, most of us assumed that the fight would serve as a coming out party for Stipe Miocic. Even though he hadn’t faced any big names in his UFC career, the heavy-handed prospect certainly looked like he was Cleveland’s next best hope for a champion. Putting Stipe in the cage with a fighter that (arguably) has a weak chin could produce a highlight reel knockout and put Miocic “in the mix” at the heavyweight division.
Except that didn’t happen. Miocic managed to land some heavy shots throughout the fight, but in the end Struve proved to be too much, earning the TKO in the second round. While Miocic outworked Struve throughout the first round, Stipe Miocic had no answers for the lanky heavyweight’s offense once Struve actually started using his jab. Sorry, Cleveland, but you really should have seen this one coming.
This isn’t meant to take anything away from Stefan Struve, as he looked pretty impressive with his victory. Any questions about his chin seemed to be answered yesterday, as he weathered some heavy punches on his way to earning the TKO. And forgive us if we’re harping on this, but when Struve actually uses his jab, he’s a completely different fighter. His lanky attack creates problems for everyone in the heavyweight division, warranting a post-fight comparison to Jon Jones from Chael Sonnen (except Chael added that Struve has twice the courage of Jon Jones, naturally). The twenty four year old fighter improves to 9-3 in the UFC, and is currently riding a four fight win streak.
Rather, this is meant to point out that perhaps we shouldn’t rush to crown Struve the future of the heavyweight division. A test against the deep end of the division is certainly deserved here, but we’ve already seen Struve get knocked out by the division’s top fighters. Unless he continues to work at absorbing less damage and using his reach, I doubt we’ll see anything different out of him this time around. No matter how good your chin is, taking heavy shots from a 240+ pound athlete isn’t exactly a good idea.
But Struve’s victory wasn’t the only surprise from yesterday. How about Dan Hardy actually attempting some takedowns? Or Matt Wiman submitting Paul “Sassangle” Sass? Or Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig ending via freak knee injury? Those quirky Brits, I tells ya.
Fight of the Night bonuses went to Stefan Struve and Stipe Miocic, Submission of the Night went to Matt Wiman, and Knockout of the Night went to Brad “One Punch” Pickett, who scored his first knockout since 2008. All bonuses were for $40,000.
Full Results:
Main Card:
Stefan Struve def. Stipe Miocic via TKO, 3:50 of Round Two
Dan Hardy def. Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision
Brad Pickett def. Yves Jabouin via KO, 3:40 of Round One
Matt Wiman def. Paul Sass via submission (armbar), 3:48 of Round One
John Hathaway def. John Maguire via unanimous decision
Che Mills def. Duane Ludwig via TKO (knee injury), 3:28 of Round One
Preliminary Card:
Jimi Manuwa def. Kyle Kingsbury via doctor’s stoppage (eye), 5:00 of Round Three
Hamid Corassani def. Andy Ogle via split decision
Brad Tavares def. Tom Watson via split decision
Gunnar Nelson def. Damarques Johnson via submission (rear naked choke), 3:34 of Round One
Robert Peralta def. Jason Young via KO, 0:23 of Round One
A career in the fight business is one that comes with a fair amount of give and take.
