TUF 18 is a disaster

T Rowles

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I can't think of one thing that's gone right with this season.

First, Ronda Rousey is coming off as a petulant, immature, crybaby psycho. After just 4 episodes, Dana White's golden goose has perhaps permanently damaged her brand. All her angry mean mugging is not going to endear her to fans. And without Ronda drawing in casual viewers, there is no women's MMA in the UFC.

Second, the women's fights have been mediocre to awful. (The men haven't been great either) This season just exposes how shallow the talent pool is in women's MMA. Allowing fighers with losing records and 5 fight losing streaks to fight is embarrassing.

If Dana White hoped to elevate women's MMA through this show, I believe his plan has backfired.

Third, the production value has noticeably regressed. Last season they changed producers and the direction of the show. The videography was a lot more artistic, featuring soft focus, slow motion, montages, the editing was enagaging, and the storytelling was new and interesting.

The focus on the fighters and their struggles gave TUF new life. Now we're back to the same old hot headed, come-at-me-bro drama that has grown so tiresome over the years.

Neither the fighers or their coaches are coming off as professional. This is especially unfortunate at a time where the UFC is making a push to mainstream the sport.

Finally, the ratings are in freefall. Episode 3 hit new low point for the series at 639,000 viewers. We'll see if they come back up, but after Episode 4's oversold and misleading teases leading up to its amateurish fight at the end, I have my doubts.
 
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I can't think of one thing that's gone right with this season.

First, Ronda Rousey is coming off as a spoiled, crybaby psycho. After just 4 episodes, Dana White's golden goose has perhaps permanently damaged her brand. Without Ronda drawing in casual viewers, there is no women's MMA in the UFC.

Second, the women's fights have been mediocre to awful. (The men haven't been great either) This season just exposes how shallow the talent pool is in women's MMA. Allowing fighers with losing records and 5 fight losing streaks to fight is embarrassing.

If Dana White hoped to elevate women's MMA through this show, I believe his plan has backfired.

Third, the production value has noticeably regressed. Last season they changed producers and the direction of the show. The videography was a lot more artistic, featuring soft focus, slow motion, montages, the editing was enagaging, and the storytelling was new and interesting.

The focus on the fighters and their struggles gave TUF new life. Now we're back to the same old hot head-ed, come-at-me-bro drama that has grown so tiresome over the years.

Neither the fighers or their coaches are coming off as professional. This is especially unfortunate at a time where the UFC is making a push to mainstream the sport.

Finally, the ratings are in freefall. Episode 3 hit new low point for the series at 639,000 viewers. We'll see if they come back up, but after Episode 4's oversold and misleading teases leading up to its amateurish fight at the end, I have my doubts.

You might be right on the money about all of that, but let me give Dana some credit here. In any business, you have to take risks. He's made the sport what it is by doing just that. I have to give him credit. He tries things out, and if they don't work, he scraps it. Boxing has been pulling the same shit for years and doesn't seem interested in doing anything differently. Its like the season where Dana made the fights live. It backfired, he vowed never to do it again. The Lesnar/JDS season was the first he tried to mix it up and just let coaches pick fighters without making them earn their way into the house. He said he regretted in instantly. This TUF season may go on to be even worse, but MMA won't fall off the map again because Dana is just that good of a marketer. I just respect that the guy is constantly trying to evolve the business and the sport. Sometimes you score, sometimes you miss.
 
So far I haven't been really excited about the fighters or episodes. It's still early in the show, and after 1 graet fight my interest might increase. I think next weeks episode could be a good one. Both guys look scrappy and it could make for a fun fight.
 
I've enjoyed both female fights alot. Why do people think MMA fighters have to be serious all the time? Remember they were people before they were MMA fighters. I get it's a serious sport, but that doesn't mean Roxanne Modefarri can't scrap, she's a goofball that loves to fight, what's wrong with that? And you can't go records in WMMA, Germaine De Randamie may be the best striker in the womens division, and she entered her first UFC bout with a record of 3-2. Just because Roxanne lost her last five fights, that probably just means the women who beat her, also belong in the UFC.
 
Then again, Ronda might end up with the Floyd Maywheather effect which is people will pay for to watch your fights, hoping that you loose--she might be able to make money being a villain. It will be interesting to see the fallout when its all set and done.
 
I do agree with everything you said with all the stupid Rousey/Tate drama though. That's all so stupid, and does 0/10 for the sport.
 
I can't think of one thing that's gone right with this season.

First, Ronda Rousey is coming off as a petulant, immature, crybaby psycho. After just 4 episodes, Dana White's golden goose has perhaps permanently damaged her brand. All her angry mean mugging is not going to endear her to fans. And without Ronda drawing in casual viewers, there is no women's MMA in the UFC.

Second, the women's fights have been mediocre to awful. (The men haven't been great either) This season just exposes how shallow the talent pool is in women's MMA. Allowing fighers with losing records and 5 fight losing streaks to fight is embarrassing.

If Dana White hoped to elevate women's MMA through this show, I believe his plan has backfired.

Third, the production value has noticeably regressed. Last season they changed producers and the direction of the show. The videography was a lot more artistic, featuring soft focus, slow motion, montages, the editing was enagaging, and the storytelling was new and interesting.

The focus on the fighters and their struggles gave TUF new life. Now we're back to the same old hot headed, come-at-me-bro drama that has grown so tiresome over the years.

Neither the fighers or their coaches are coming off as professional. This is especially unfortunate at a time where the UFC is making a push to mainstream the sport.

Finally, the ratings are in freefall. Episode 3 hit new low point for the series at 639,000 viewers. We'll see if they come back up, but after Episode 4's oversold and misleading teases leading up to its amateurish fight at the end, I have my doubts.

I pretty much disagree with everything you said other than your first point. Which while true, is somewhat exaggerated as well.
 
i enjoyed the episodes so far. it's not as if there is a plethora of similar shows. sure, you are not going to see GUS/Jones action on TUF but nobody is claiming you will.

well, maybe Dana, but that's his job.
Personally i am looking fw to the girls' fights. The guys. not that much. i do not if it is the purpose of the producers to make the men less visible, but it does come off like that. either that or they are not that charismatic.

but overall, i\ll watch all the episodes, for sure.
 
First, Ronda Rousey is coming off as a petulant, immature, crybaby psycho. After just 4 episodes, Dana White's golden goose has perhaps permanently damaged her brand. All her angry mean mugging is not going to endear her to fans. And without Ronda drawing in casual viewers, there is no women's MMA in the UFC.
Yes, clearly Hollywood will stop calling now after she permanently damaged her brand on a reality show by crying. Way to overreact.

Second, the women's fights have been mediocre to awful. (The men haven't been great either) This season just exposes how shallow the talent pool is in women's MMA. Allowing fighers with losing records and 5 fight losing streaks to fight is embarrassing.
Where have you been seeing these awful fights? I haven't.

Oh, and Tara LaRosa was 21-3. Based on that people ignorant to WMMA assumed she would win or face Braszler in the final. Part of what they are doing is giving newer talent a chance to shine It is hard to find fights for female fighters. And the old guard are falling.

If Dana White hoped to elevate women's MMA through this show, I believe his plan has backfired.
You are basing this on...? If anything, fans love the women and feel they have breathed new life into TUF. They are the draw.

The focus on the fighters and their struggles gave TUF new life. Now we're back to the same old hot head-ed, come-at-me-bro drama that has grown so tiresome over the years.

You just saw an entire episode devoted to telling the back stories of Roxanne and Jessica. You just saw a whole episode about their struggles. The whole episode was a build to the fight with little about Ronda or Miesha. Are you even watching? Or are you just whining?

Neither the fighers or their coaches are coming off as professional. This is especially unfortunate at a time where the UFC is making a push to mainstream the sport.
What are you even talking about? You are acting like the TUF house is a den of sin and one big orgy. This isn't the NFL's Hard Knocks which makes the NFL look like a prison.

Finally, the ratings are in freefall. Episode 3 hit new low point for the series at 639,000 viewers. We'll see if they come back up, but after Episode 4's oversold and misleading teases leading up to its amateurish fight at the end, I have my doubts.
Funny how you don't mention the ratings actually increased from the first to second episode. Which never happens on TUF. When you factor in the DVR + numbers, they did over a 1.0 for the first and nearly 1.2 for the second. And 800,000 for the third.

And for the 8,000,000th time, they are on FS1! Do you know what FS1 averages for their weeknight primetime? 150,000! So TUF is giving about 6 times what they average. Compare that to Spike which averages about 800,000 no matter what they put on in primetime.

The only disaster is your post.
 
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Anybody at any event at any time can simply decide to focus on whats terrible about something, see ANY.... and I mean ANY season of TUF and you will find not one or two but MANY posters putting down the season just like you are doing now.

Production is not terrible, its the same its always been and the minimal changes would not affect viewership.... fans who decided that they were not going to watch a womens season before the show started are simply not watching and thats that

The qualifying fights were not bad and once in the house youve only seen 3 fights, you really havent seen much to jump to conclusions about the overall quality of fights during the season

Season has not been the most exciting yet, but I would hardly call it the most boring or even terrible.

The only thing I will agree with you is that Ronda is annoying as fuck... and if I decide to not watch the season anymore it would probably be because she fucking annoys me for 45 minutes

Like I said you can simply decide on whats terrible or whats not... and I guess you just decided on what you are going to focus on
 
Meh, I disagree with most of this.

Ronda, however, is coming off as a childish person.
 
I'm not watching it because of the fights. I am watching it because I actually like seeing this show have a new low. TUF 18 is the worst car crash of a show I've ever seen. When the UFC hits TUF 20, they should have Chuck vs Randy as coaches Call it Bellator vs the UFC then call it quits.

Tapout was a much better MMA show anyway
 
Well I find it kinda interesting since you almost get to peek into a closed mental institute every week, what with Edmund and/or Rhonda acting some kind of crazy each episode.
 
Then again, Ronda might end up with the Floyd Maywheather effect which is people will pay for to watch your fights, hoping that you loose--she might be able to make money being a villain. It will be interesting to see the fallout when its all set and done.

The sport is fighting. Violent combat. With blood and arm breaking. When, in the history of combat sports has a fighter being regarded as an angry unstable psycho hurt sales or dampened interest?

TS is another sufferer of Rousey Derangement Syndrome (RDS).
 
TS needs more cheese to go with his whine.
 
They need to end every show with a tease that Kimbo might be coming back.


It seemed to work for that one season, anyway.
 
Finally, the ratings are in freefall. Episode 3 hit new low point for the series at 639,000 viewers. We'll see if they come back up, but after Episode 4's oversold and misleading teases leading up to its amateurish fight at the end, I have my doubts.

The UFC 165 prelims (real fights with real UFC fighters broadcast on a Saturday night) on FS1 drew about the same viewership.
 
The show is pretty awful, having to sit through all of Rousey and Tate's catting, bitching, and antagonizing of one another. Then we have to sit through mediocre fights, which is worse.


But I will give this show some credit. It's managed to transform half of this forum's population into women, while Miesha Tate's Schnoz Mob tries to find any possible reason to get catty, gossip and hate on Rousey behind her back.
 
I'm liking this season. The girls are a nice twist.

I know it's edited and scripted but man does Ronda come off as an immature and unintelligent douche on the show.
 
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