Tag: The Ultimate Fighter

Discovery Channel Cancels The Fighters After One Episode, Which Still Pulled Better Numbers Than ‘TUF: Nations’


(Yep, that’s Matt Phinney, a.k.a Michael “Fedor on Zeus’s shoulders” Bisping, featured in the one and only episode of “The Fighters.” Photo via Discovery.)

One of the smaller takeaways from Dana White’s near-meltdown at a press luncheon last week was the unfortunate news that his boxing-focused reality show, The Fighters, pulled in “fucking horrendous” numbers for its premiere episode (Ed note: Yeah, seems to be a lot of that going around). And indeed, when a show pulls in just 385,000 viewers on a channel that regularly gets over a million people to watch Amish Mafia, it’s safe to say that it is failing to find its target audience.

To be cancelled after one episode, though? That’s harsh, son. But that is also the reality of The Fighters, as boxing coach Peter Welsh and producer Craig Piligian confirmed yesterday that the show is dunzo via Twitter, stating, “Sorry to say it has. Such a great show, we hope to get it on an audience appropriate network.”

Wait, you mean to tell me that sasquatch-hunting aficionados can’t *also* appreciate a gritty show centered around the lives of struggling, Boston-based fighters? Or is the Bigfoot show the History channel’s doing? All I know is that reality television is a bottomless pit of despair and so are the people who choose to watch it. Except for Bar Rescue, obviously.Jon Taffer is cleaning up this cesspool of a country one speakeasy at a time and deserves our praise for it.

The Fighters now joins the ranks of such one-hit wonders as Heil Honey I’m Home, Co-Ed Fever, and Public Morals to never reach a second episode. Honestly, all of those other shows sound far more interesting than The Fighters, but I’m also a sucker for comedies about Hitler. 


(Yep, that’s Matt Phinney, a.k.a Michael “Fedor on Zeus’s shoulders” Bisping, featured in the one and only episode of “The Fighters.” Photo via Discovery.)

One of the smaller takeaways from Dana White’s near-meltdown at a press luncheon last week was the unfortunate news that his boxing-focused reality show, The Fighters, pulled in “fucking horrendous” numbers for its premiere episode (Ed note: Yeah, seems to be a lot of that going around). And indeed, when a show pulls in just 385,000 viewers on a channel that regularly gets over a million people to watch Amish Mafia, it’s safe to say that it is failing to find its target audience.

To be cancelled after one episode, though? That’s harsh, son. But that is also the reality of The Fighters, as boxing coach Peter Welsh and producer Craig Piligian confirmed yesterday that the show is dunzo via Twitter, stating, “Sorry to say it has. Such a great show, we hope to get it on an audience appropriate network.”

Wait, you mean to tell me that sasquatch-hunting aficionados can’t *also* appreciate a gritty show centered around the lives of struggling, Boston-based fighters? Or is the Bigfoot show the History channel’s doing? All I know is that reality television is a bottomless pit of despair and so are the people who choose to watch it. Except for Bar Rescue, obviously.Jon Taffer is cleaning up this cesspool of a country one speakeasy at a time and deserves our praise for it.

The Fighters now joins the ranks of such one-hit wonders as Heil Honey I’m Home, Co-Ed Fever, and Public Morals to never reach a second episode. Honestly, all of those other shows sound far more interesting than The Fighters, but I’m also a sucker for comedies about Hitler.

Oh, and the worst part? Despite being an absolute failure, The Fighters pulled in more viewers for its first episode than TUF: Nations has all season (via MMAFighting):

The new season of Ultimate Fighter: Nations is destined to be the lowest-rated season in the show’s history. he Jan. 15 debut did 371,000 viewers on Fox Sports 1 and the second episode on Jan. 22 fell to 253,000, the two least-watched, first-run episodes ever. The third episode, on Jan. 29, was moved to FS 2, but it will return to FS 1 in its usual 10 p.m. Wednesday night slot on Feb. 5.

While it’s not really surprising that TUF: Nations is bombing considering its Australian and Canadian-centric focus, it can’t be uplifting to learn that the latest incarnation of your long-past-relevant show is pulling in less viewers than your cousin’s graduation video.

Pour one out for The Fighters tonight, Potato Nation. We barely knew ye.

–J. Jones

Roy Nelson vs. Big Nog Official for UFC’s Return to Abu Dhabi on April 11th


(Nelson, seen here donning the most elaborate Big Nog Halloween costume of all time. Photo via Nelson’s twitter.)

It’s official: Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will do battle when the UFC returns to Abu Dhabi on April 11th as previously speculated. Unfortunately, this card will only air on Fight Pass.

You can stop reading this article right now. No one would blame you. But if you’d like to know a little more about the UFC’s deal with Flash Entertainment, join us after the jump.


(Nelson, seen here donning the most elaborate Big Nog Halloween costume of all time. Photo via Nelson’s twitter.)

It’s official: Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will do battle when the UFC returns to Abu Dhabi on April 11th as previously speculated. Unfortunately, this card will only air on Fight Pass.

You can stop reading this article right now. No one would blame you.

The April card will serve as the first in a two-year, five-event minimum deal the UFC has reached with Flash Entertainment that also includes broadcasting rights to that Ultimate Fighter show I hear is so popular these days. Flash Entertainment is of course, the organization that purchased a 10% stake of Zuffa LLC back in 2010 prior to UFC 112. So if you’re a wealthy oil tycoon who just so happens to be a fight fan looking to purchase a home away from the three homes you already have, this is probably huge news for you.

Executive Vice President and Managing Director of UFC, Gary Cook, spoke on the recently reached agreement and you stop reading when you saw “Fight Pass” didn’t you?

This agreement is a major step in our strategic expansion across EMEA and, in particular, will see our audience grow dramatically across the region. There is a huge market for the UFC in the Middle East. The fans want live events and can now look forward to local tailored content in the region.

Well, that was a series of words alright. Here’s another: infinitesimal, trapdoor, gator, concubine, didgeridoo, Grape Ape, merengue.

So…Big Nog vs. Big Country anyone? Anyone?

–J. Jones

The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 to Be Aired Exclusively on UFC Fight Pass

Non-Brazilian fans who want to see Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva verbally have it out had better dust off their credit cards. The UFC has announced that The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 will only be available to American (and European) audiences over…

Non-Brazilian fans who want to see Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva verbally have it out had better dust off their credit cards. The UFC has announced that The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 will only be available to American (and European) audiences over UFC Fight Pass.

The promotion announced the news via press release: “The first episode of TUF Brasil will be available, on demand, on UFC Fight Pass from 7pm PT/10pm ET on Sunday, March 9, just hours after airing on Brazilian television. Each new episode will then be available every Sunday at the same time.”

In addition to TUF: Brazil 3, UFC Fight Pass will also have an original feature entitled Six Weeks with Sonnen. You can check out a teaser clip here.

The rivalry between Sonnen and Silva has been building over the last two years. Silva famously took issue with “The American Gangster” and his nonstop barbs thrown in the direction of then-middleweight champion Anderson Silva, as well as his friends and training partners like the Nogueira brothers and Lyoto Machida.

While their initial debate was quite cordial, the feud has taken a turn for the ridiculous in recent months. Ever since Silva experienced a renewed relevance by knocking out Brian Stann at UFC on Fuel TV 8, he has been posting ludicrous, over-the-top videos promising never-before-seen brutality when he faces Sonnen (with thrash metal playing in the background—just to show just how radical and “intense” Silva is).

The two had a famous confrontation at the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition that wound up being a silly, but still entertaining, PR play by Silva.

UFC Fight Pass is currently running a free trial that ends March 1. Those who want to catch TUF: Brazil 3 (as well as future international TUF series, possibly) will have to pony up $10 a month. For more details on UFC Fight Pass, make sure to check out Jonathan Snowden’s interview with the UFC’s Marshall Zelaznik here.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

TUF Nations Episode 2 Recap: Styles Clash Inside the Octagon

The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Team Canada vs. Team Australia debuted its second episode Wednesday evening, featuring a classic clash of styles inside the Octagon. 
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Zein Saliba represented Team Australia opposite of …

The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Team Canada vs. Team Australia debuted its second episode Wednesday evening, featuring a classic clash of styles inside the Octagon. 

Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Zein Saliba represented Team Australia opposite of Elias Theodorou, an undefeated kickboxer flying the colors of Team Canada. 

The bout was hyped as Type A vs. Type B, apples vs. oranges, grappling vs. striking, Scorsese vs. Kubrick (Hint: The dichotomy here is good/bad. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which.).

The world, seeking resolution, tuned in to see which style would reign supreme. 

We were all duped.

 

Fight Recap

We received no resolution on the grappling versus striking front, but we did see a clear-cut victor in the matchup.

Theodorou decided to repeatedly clinch the jiu-jitsu wizard Saliba, looking for takedowns and top control instead of keeping his distance and working the striking game. 

His decision to force a grappling battle against the superior ground artist was strange and ill-advised.

But it worked perfectly. 

Theodorou flipped the script on the BJJ guru Saliba, and he thoroughly dominated all aspects of the fight, including positional battles against the fence and against the cage. 

With his self-proclaimed “best hair in MMA” blowing gently in the Octagonal winds, Theodorou slammed, passed, clinched and (occasionally) struck his way to victory against Saliba. 

Saliba looked terrible. Save for a fleeting moment in Round 2 where he took Theodorou‘s back but proceeded to do nothing with it, Saliba looked amateur everywhere this fight went. 

Theodorou, while he clearly won the fight, did not look much better. 

Both fighters looked sluggish and tired in Round 2, and neither man sported any explosive power or drive to pursue a finish or to mount any significant offense. 

This bout was a total flop, but a winner had to emerge, and Theodorou was better at not being awful. 

 

Post Fight

This is when things got hilarious and more than a little sad. 

Immediately after the final bell, Saliba punched the canvas in a fury, realizing he had not done enough to win the fight. It may have been the most significant strike of the fight from him. 

Meanwhile, Theodorou pranced around the cage and fixed his hair, fluffing and styling his locks into just the perfect winner’s wave. 

Where was this energy during the fight?

Saliba was not done with that one punch, however. 

Once he got to the dressing room backstage, he went slightly berserk. In a fit of rage, Saliba kicked the couch (it glanced off the back, barely nipping the cushion for those wondering) and let out a howl of anger and frustration. 

Suddenly, he actually seemed like he wanted to fight, but he was about 20 minutes too late. 

Theodorou, for his part, seemed perfectly content with his performance. 

In fairness, he dominated an area of the game in which nobody expected him to find success, so he should be proud of that accomplishment. 

Still, I doubt anybody in the house is fearful of a potential showdown with Team Canada’s pretty boy, and he will need to showcase better endurance and athleticism in his future outings. 

For now, he’s good enough to move on to the next round, but I’m not sure how much higher his ceiling rises. 

 

Fight Pick

Following Saliba vs. Theodorou, Team Canada head coach Patrick Cote chose next week’s matchup. 

The welterweights are back in action, with undefeated Team Canada member Chad Laprise (7-0) taking on Team Australia’s Chris Indich (6-1). 

Interestingly, Laprise spent a portion of his career at lightweight, while Indich previously fought at middleweight. Now, they meet in the middle with the weight of a nation and a potential six-figure UFC contract on their shoulders.

Who will emerge victorious? 

Tune in next Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST to find out. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Kyacey Uscola Found Guilty of Domestic Abuse, Could Face 13 Years

According to a report from C. Johnson and Siemny Chhuon of KXTV News10, MMA fighter and The Ultimate Fighter 11 veteran Kyacey Uscola has been found guilty of domestic abuse and could serve up to 13 years in prison.
Uscola was found guil…

According to a report from C. Johnson and Siemny Chhuon of KXTV News10, MMA fighter and The Ultimate Fighter 11 veteran Kyacey Uscola has been found guilty of domestic abuse and could serve up to 13 years in prison.

Uscola was found guilty by a jury of his peers in Sacramento, Calif., for an incident on June 15, 2013, in which Uscola assaulted the mother of his child.

Shelly Orio, the D.A. spokesperson on the case, said the victim suffered a life-threatening laceration to her pancreas, eight broken ribs, a punctured lung, two lumbar fractures and an orbital fracture.

This was not the first incident of its kind involving Uscola. When he was arrested for domestic abuse in 2011, Uscola saw his relationship with Urijah Faber and Team Alpha Male severed.

“As soon as the first incident happened, Kyacey was no longer allowed to be a part of the team,” Faber said, via the KXTV News10 report.

Uscola joined Faber’s team in 2008 in an attempt to straighten his life out and get into the UFC. This, in turn, saw him earn a sport on Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter, where he was chosen by Team Ortiz after defeating Brent Cooper via KO inside of 30 seconds of the first round.

Uscola was disqualified via an illegal knee strike to the head of Rich Antonio in the fourth episode of the show, but he was chosen for a wild-card position later in the season. He lost his wild-card bout to Kris McCray via submission early in the second round.

Uscola’s last fight was in February of 2013. He lost to Jason South via rear-naked choke, marking his eighth loss in a row.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 14, 2014.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

TUF Nations Episode 1 Results and Recap: Which Nation Drew First Blood?

Is this thing on? 
The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia debuted Wednesday evening, giving the world its first glimpse of the latest cast of UFC hopefuls to display their talents on the hit reality television show. 
But nobo…

Is this thing on? 

The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia debuted Wednesday evening, giving the world its first glimpse of the latest cast of UFC hopefuls to display their talents on the hit reality television show. 

But nobody cared. 

Twitter was dead, the show itself was low-key and reserved compared to past seasons, and, to make matters worse, nobody was exactly clamoring for a fabricated “Canada vs. Australia” rivalry in the first place.

To do the UFC’s flagship television series some justice, however, let’s break down Episode 1 and check out what we’re in for as the season progresses.

 

Recap

UFC welterweights Kyle Noke and Patrick Cote serve as the coaches for Team Australia and Team Canada, respectively, and they will each lead four welterweights and four middleweights toward the finale and the title of the ultimate fighter.

The first episode wasted no time lining up our first fight of the season.

Undefeated Australian welterweight Brendan O’Reilly was chosen to take on 19-10-1 Canadian Kajan Johnson, a fighter who oozed confidence before stepping into the cage. If you, like me, thought his 19-10-1 record looked a little shaky, know this: Johnson is 13-2-1 over his past 16 fights, and one of the two losses came to UFC welterweight standout Rory MacDonald.

That said, Johnson’s confidence bordered on ridiculous, as he said before his fight with O’Reilly, “Even if I’m injured, I’m more dangerous than anybody else here.”

We shall see, sir. We shall see. 

And we saw. 

Johnson steamrolled O’Reilly, showing that his swagger was warranted. 

After getting dumped on his back early, Johnson showcased a polished, active and dangerous ground game. He first threatened with a deep heel hook that had O’Reilly wincing in pain, but the Australian escaped, and the fight returned to the feet.

O’Reilly again shot for a takedown, but Johnson sprawled and immediately took his back and finished the fight with a rear-naked choke in Round 1. 

The Australian left the cage limping and defeated, cementing Johnson as an early favorite to make waves throughout the season. 

For his efforts, Johnson earned a sweet pair of headphones, and Cote chose the next fight, this time between two middleweight prospects.

 

Fight pick:

Elias Theodorou (Team Canada, 8-0) will take on Zein Saliba (Team Australia, 4-0). 

Two undefeated records are on the line, and Saliba, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, will look to test Theodorou’s ground skills early and often in hopes of securing the Aussie’s first victory. 

Tune in next week to see who extends their professional winning streak and who suffers their first career defeat. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com