How to make TUF refreshing and interesting?

[MikalP]

The obvious answer is because it's partially a female season and that's new to the UFC. The women's division is the newest division to be incorporated into the UFC. But is that really it?

I'm working on an article about the direction they could take TUF if the typical "fight for a contract in x division" method doesn't work, and one of the angles I'm trying to take is that part of the reason people seem so invested in the women's bracket in TUF 18 is because we know a lot of the female fighters already. We knew who Shayna Baszler was, we knew who Roxanne Modafferi was, we knew who Tara LaRosa was.

Making sure the fighter is well known is the strategy used when assigning coaches, so why not (to a lesser extent) do so with the contestants? While this specific idea is a bit out there, would you not be way more interested if the seasons were a little shorter but consisted of four top 10 contenders battling it out in a mini-tournament for a shot at the title?

Or, instead of having every fighter enter the house through try outs and elimination matches, have a handful of fighters voted in by interested/willing fighters. Fighters would of course have to be cleared by the UFC before voting in to avoid the Fedor votes and what not, but you get the idea.

While the #1 contender season would certainly be hard to pull off, if there were ever a time in a division where it seemed viable, would you be more interested? If so, how do you think it could work (since it seems pretty far fetched at the moment).

Does the voting fighters in idea appeal to you? If so, same question - what would the best way for it to work be?

Just some food for thought and if you guys are up for the discussion that'd be great!

 

[Blayt7hh]

Make the finale a 14 man royal rumble for the a second place 6 figure contract. Who wouldn't watch that shit?

 

[Drake]

Comeback season.

 

[new_mexico1]

Right now, the only thing that can do anything for it is extremely charismatic personalities. Nothing about the format can help. It's done.

 

[Goonerview]

... needs more birds

 

[joeyjoejoe]

I have no idea maybe get Royce and Sakuraba as coaches and do a Japan vs Brazil season, another comeback season with UFC gets would be cool.

 

[MikeLovesTacosX]

At this point they should do a comeback season. What weight class? Not sure.

The best thing they could have done for TUF imo was Bonnar/Griffin coaching like a year or 2 ago. The 2 who made TUF what it is today coaching it years later. I think it was serious missed opportunity on the part of the UFC.

 

[loopholbrook]

I have no idea maybe get Royce and Sakuraba as coaches and do a Japan vs Brazil season, another comeback season with UFC gets would be cool.

That won't help it grow. Realistically most MMA fans don't even know Wanderlei Silva. You have to keep in mind that they're trying to get the small fans to watch, not the die hard fans.

 

[High Test With da Best]

Right now, the only thing that can do anything for it is extremely charismatic personalities. Nothing about the format can help. It's done.

I disagree. its a solid equation, as long as the digits are entertaining

 

[ManofSteel]

Comeback season.

Not a bad idea for them to bring that back...

I also wouldn't mind them taking a semi-average joe, taking him to a real MMA gym and make him learn how to fight. I think this is far more interesting than watching a twentieth season of TUF... This way everyone would learn more about the actual sport, not just drama and semi-pointless fights between no-bodies.

TUF needs new dynamics, ELITE coaches, which UFC is not keen to allow.

 

[TonyK]

I watched the 7th season because of guys like Amir and Matt Brown.

 

[MikeyCanFly]

great fights and top level fighters as coaches

 

[Bigj383]

Don't listen to much of the suggestions in this thread. 'The hard core audience has no idea how to appeal to the masses when it comes to things like this. They would design a show that may draw an interest from a niche fanbase but would be lost on the casual fan. Shows have to appeal to the emotions of those watching. The audience needs people to empathize with. It's about understanding the emotion and connecting with the fighters. It's not about simply winning a contract. If it was just about fights and a tournament they could just make events instead.

 

[MikalP]

Don't listen to much of the suggestions in this thread. 'The hard core audience has no idea how to appeal to the masses when it comes to things like this. They would design a show that may draw an interest from a niche fanbase but would be lost on the casual fan. Shows have to appeal to the emotions of those watching. The audience needs people to empathize with. It's about understanding the emotion and connecting with the fighters. It's not about simply winning a contract. If it was just about fights and a tournament they could just make events instead.

First and foremost the show has to seem appealing enough to watch in the first place. You cannot empathize with anyone on the show if you do not tune in to know the newcomers. However, as, we approach the 20th season.. people simply stopped caring about the next fighter to get a contract into the UFC and become irrelevant in the giant talent pool the UFC has.

This is why I believe that using names people already know, the come back season would work for this, would allow people to be drawn to the show due to the draw power of those names and then connect with them accordingly. I'm not sure how everyone has received TUF 18 around here, but I'm very interested in the women's tournament because of the fact that I knew of the fighters going into the show. The reason this is possibly is because the women's division is new and the talent outside of the UFC hasn't been, for lack of a better term, sucked dry by Zuffa.

If the niche fanbase grows, the hype surrounding the investment that niche would put into the show could result in great things.

 

[UJustGotChaeld]

While I thought FightMaster was a horrible show, I think there are some things they could incorporate into TUF to make it fresh and better. I think the idea of ranked fighters could be useful. I think fighters choosing their opponent and also choosing which coach to work with could be useful. I think the two "teams" rotating between coaches and the coaches really needing to work for the fighters would be better.

 

[JustinvR]

Change the way its portraited and edited, kinda like TUF 17.
MMA doesnt have a good reputation, and having someone like Julian Lane representing MMA on TV only makes it worse.

 

[Evbo]

It would've been better if they'd stuck with the legit competition vibe they had last season, not the reality tv Jersey Shore shit tv for people with shit for brains vibe they've gone for this year

 

[Jawth]

Sign Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal as the coaches.

 

[under_t]

Change the all format.

 

[Magooglie]

I like current TUF. Maybe the first episode they can cut into 2 parts. I view it as an extension of UFC/MMA. As a stand alone show maybe casual fans need gimmicks but It's like the new fighters tournament for me.