The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir
Season 8 of Spike’s Popular Reality Show Debuts
The reality show that propelled the niche sport of mixed-martial-arts from the bleakness of internet discussion forums and the back pages of wrestling newsletters to the bright spotlight of ESPN and the cover of Sports Illustrated entered its eighth season this Wednesday.
Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir features Coaches Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, UFC interim Heavyweight champion and Frank Mir, number one contender to the crown, leading their teams of hopeful fighters in a series of elimination bouts that will culminate December 13th on Spike TV’s live Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale special. Later, on December 27th, coaches Nogueira and Mir face off at UFC 92 for the interim title, the victor moving on against the winner of Randy Couture-Brock Lesnar for the undisputed Heavyweight championship.
This season returns to the shows original two-weight class format. 155 and 205 pounders will compete, respectively, in 8-seed tournaments to decide which combatants will ink their names onto UFC contracts worth six-figures and join the exclusive list of past winners.
While participation in the program doesn’t guarantee a future in the fight game, The Ultimate Fighter is a proven farm system to the UFC. Many ‘TUF’ housemates have matured into first-rate fighters since appearing on the show.
Rashad Evans, who recently KO’d Chuck Liddell and earned shot against current light heavyweight ruler and season 1 champion Forrest Griffin, season 5 underdog Nathan Diaz, and lightweight title contender Kenny Florian, are just a few who successfully used the reality program as a jumping off point into a fight career.
Season 8
Heeding criticism of recent seasons, UFC President Dana White promised a more experienced and proven roster than in the shows past; notable cast members include lightweights “The Hebrew Hammer” Ido Pariente, an eight-year veteran, submission specialist Efrain Escudero, undefeated in 10 fights at just 22 years of age, and light heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski, a former IFL competitor who, interestingly, first learned martial arts from 1976 Olympic Judo bronze medalist Allen Coage, better known to pro wrestling fans as ‘80s WWE star Bad News Brown.
In the debut, 32 fighters arrive at the UFC Training Center where they 're given 48 hours to prepare for preliminary matches that will determine which 16 officially become cast members. The ‘Sweet Sixteen’ gain entrance into the famous UFC house where – like in all previous incarnations of the program – they will have to live together throughout the duration of the six weeks of training. If this group is anything like previous casts, expect drunkenness, in-house fighting, destruction of property, debauchery, and any other kind of trouble sixteen young men would be into when stuck in a house and bored.
The first half of preliminary bouts took place, with the next half scheduled for next week’s installment. Already advancing: Krzysztof Soszynski, Dave Kaplan, Phillipe Nover, Vinny Magalhaes, Antwain Britt, Brian McLaughlin, and Junie Browning .
Relevant Link: The Ultimate FIghter: Season 8 Episode 2
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