Why The Ultimate Fighter isn’t GOOD Anymore

[@jacobwilson7030]

In Jonathan Bookins ' defense, he lost to Charlie Olives and Dustin Poirier before he got cut. Two losses that aged ridiculously well.

[@RedForLife68]

Yeah. He got done very dirty. He was never the flashiest fighter but he was gritty and had a great ground game. So I feel he could’ve had a reasonable run if given a little more room to grow before being cut.

[@Gg-wh3vi]

And Jose Aldo in the wec.. that’s the whole reason I had heard of him coming on the show.

[@nextlvlroy]

didn't he retire rather than get cut?

[@BillySmith-np5zn]

“He’s not a needle mover”-Dana

[@SiahNide7]

At least back in the day, we knew the coaches were going to fight after the show

[@SM-nz9ff]

you know and coach....Conor doesn't do shit

[@americandissident9062]

Right. Conor isn’t a fighter anymore. He’s not even in the testing pool. He’s just still under a contract.

[@user-xo7go4rr7g]

Ways to make the ultimate fighter good again. - Elimation fights in the first episode to get on the show. - throw guys who have fought each other in the regional scene/UFC to form some personal beef. - Let them Drink. Thats where we got the best moments. - the get to know the fighter screenings Shouldnt be 15 minutes long. - put on 2 fighter coaches that actually dont like each other. A Masvidal/Colby or Khabib/Ferguson season would have been gold. McGregor And Chandler dont really have bad blood.

[@huttanamaihala2276]

agreed..they burnt Conor with Chandler even tho he's drunk constantly on the show

[@shahidabdoullakhanzorovr1564]

Chandler's learning the hard way that simping doesn't pay.

[@huttanamaihala2276]

@@shahidabdoullakhanzorovr1564 simping is a big problem this days..ask jesse

[@chendaddy]

Did Ferguson ever coach TUF? He would've been amazing. UFC totally missed the boat not making Khabib/Tony a TUF season. Imagine Papa Nurmagomedov and the entire clan plus Islam showing up to the TUF house. I guess they'd have to ban alcohol for them. That would've broken the curse, I'm sure of it. Instead, we got COVID.

[@lancethrust9488]

ALL DRAMA SEASON 5 THE BEST THAN 1 THEN 8 , SEASON 5 TECHNICAL STREET FIGHT

[@ashervirin9698]

A big problem for me is that Conor in the show acts more like his own entity than a loyal coach to his team, he doesn’t even stand in their corner when the fights happening like chandler does

[@PetePools]

yeah I think Conor is tanking this show more than anything else. he is now a prima donna...

[@shahidabdoullakhanzorovr1564]

​@@PetePools "Now"...? Y'all are slow to catch on to things, huh? This guy literally asked for partial ownership of the UFC after Khabib choked him.

[@Southsideassassin]

Come on bro do a “backhand lead hook”. His advice is on point

[@fjb802]

McGregor so damn annoying now

[@yaakw]

Always has been after he became dana’s pet.

[@Broken_Orbital]

The show used to focus on the grind and gym sessions and now it's 80% home video, 10% gym footage, 9% house footage, 1% actual fights.

[@oldironsides4107]

I’ve been just skipping through. It was a half hour of these guys families and pets. Just same generic story and I don’t want to hear about a fighters family

[@Broken_Orbital]

@@oldironsides4107 I don't mind small snippets as an intro to the fighters but you lose me when you're wasting entire episodes on "I fight for my wife and kids, my family supports me, I've got the best coaches, this is my time" and then have to watch the other guy's video saying the same exact shit.. Show me the gym sessions, the weight cuts, and the fight, That's what I'm here for.

[@oldironsides4107]

@@Broken_Orbital I’m an old chunk of coal but every man is doing whatever they’re doing for the same reasons. Next season just put on guys with no kids or even just absent dads so we don’t have to hear this over and over and over. Fights. Especially mma was a always an escape. No wife no kids watching. Now I have to hear about these guys families. It’s just brutal.

[@Broken_Orbital]

@@oldironsides4107 haha a whole season of deadbeat dads talking shit on each other for being deadbeat dads would be awesome..bring back the alcohol and you've got a banger of a season!

[@jackreacher2095]

@@Broken_OrbitalJorge Masvidal and Colby coach 😂

[@80srocknroller]

Some of the best seasons were the first ones

[@DTS_I]

As it tends to be

[@SkinnyETBird]

The best season was the 1st one number 2 is simply what ever you liked personally

[@Langwene69]

Bring back drinking this shit is soft af now

[@80srocknroller]

@@SkinnyETBird My another favorite season was American Top Team VS Blackzillians

[@Arkstromater]

Yes because the internet wasn’t the main form of entertainment…..people actually watched tv back then

[@breadpirateoverhere]

This new season has been so weird man. It's always on the move. There's so few scenes of just the fighters talking with each other. That's when you really get to know these dudes, not these melodramatic monologues. Each of these dudes have such intense backstories they just sit alone and talk about it then they go get knocked out in 30 seconds. The best scenes were always when the fighters were just chilling at the house talking. Now it's all fast cuts and constant moving to the next bit, lots of home footage too. Let's figure out who the guys are by them just hanging out and shooting the shit after a long workout session.

[@samiehmed4919]

100% this! The best part of the reality show aspect was seeing them interact with one another, there was some of this in the pena nunes season with the season one guy becoming everyone’s mental coach and motivator. It’s the only thing I remember from that whole season. I think Peña had a prank that was underwhelming.

[@lancethrust9488]

THIS WILL FIX THINGS 1. FIND ALCOHOLIC MMA FIGHTERS 2. MUST HAVE PRISON RECORDS 3. 1 HOT CHICK IN THE HOUSE 4 .THE HOT CHICK IS ALCOHOLIC 5 . SWIMMING POOL IS A SHARK TANK 6 . SWORDS ON THE WALLS 7. HIDDEN GUN IN THE HOUSE 8. RE ENTRY OF JUNIE BROWNING AS HOUSE JESTER 9. RE ENTRY OF JULIAN LANE AS HOUSE JESTER 10. PRESIDENTIAL PARDON FOR WAR MACHINE RENTRY INTO HOUSE AS HOUSE JESTER 11. HIDDEN KILO OF COCAINE 12. WATER SLIDE FROM BEDROOM TO SHARK TANK 13. NINJA STARS IN THE FRIDGE 14. A NEW BORN BABY 15. JERSEY SHORE VISITS FOR 1 DAY THAT WILL FIX THE RATINGS !!

[@Gg-wh3vi]

Back in the day, when the fighters got picked to fight each other they would introduce their story in 2-3 minutes during their training session. Now espn wants you to be sap and hear 15 minutes of uncomfortable stories who are probably being forced to tell their darkest stories because espn is all about exploiting the athlete and targeting a weak minded audience.

[@SM-nz9ff]

espn....

[@rima7286]

yup!!! i blame the production and the creative direction/editing, the fights are GOOD, the fighters are interesting as fuck, they just dont seem like people and just seem like moving parts of a tournament

[@robertoguzman7682]

Honestly, the main reason i think is that its not trashy enough anymore. Like, lets be real, no one watches reality tv for hard nosed competition. Also, despite the coaches being the biggest part of the marketing, they're not really the focus of the show. I understand you want people to get to know the up and coming fighters, but the average viewer doesnt care. They (we) want drama and TUF just doesnt offer any

[@chileno189]

I agree. I don't care about how some fighter misses his kids, I want ratchet foolishness. That's why even today, people still talk about Junie Browning. They also need to bring back the cheesy opening theme song from the old seasons.

[@BostonsF1nest]

The main reason is that Conor isn’t present enough. End of story.

[@UFCPeterGriffin]

My favorite season is 5. So much drama and people getting kicked off the show in that season. Also full of legends like Nate Diaz, BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, Joe Lauzon.

[@Djc00lness]

Call me a casual but... who's this 'legend' Joe Lauzon lol

[@UFCPeterGriffin]

@@Djc00lness Joe Lauzon is an og who debuted in the ufc in 2006. He has the 4th most post fight bonus awards in the UFC. He debuted in the UFC against the first lightweight champion Jens Pulver. Lauzon was like a +700 underdog, but he still got a first round ko. He’s had a lot of legendary fights. The most well known one is probably his first fight with Jim Miller. He holds notable wins over Michael Chiesa, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, Jeremy Stephens, and Takanori Gomi. In his most recent fight back in 2019 he beat now rising prospect Jonathan Pearce in his ufc debut.

[@marvind.rogers1706]

​@Djc00lness More of a legend for hard-core fans...but J-Lau is the man.

[@bastipotter84]

the mma guru made me interested in your channel and honestly I didn't expect as much insight into the ultimate fighter out of a 9 minute video, so very good job bro, I hope your situation gets better !

[@Djc00lness]

That fat jew in a wheelchair? (I'm a huge fan)

[@youtuber55629]

I love watching TUF still. I agree it’s not as exciting in terms of drama but I love the preparation behind the scenes, gauging who’s style or game plan is going to prevail and seeing the fighters compete for what is essentially a still a very high ticket item which is a UFC contract. I loved last season as well(or was it the season before that?) and Tresean Gore and Bryan Battle are tough guys who definitely belong in the UFC. Will they become UFC champs? Probably not because that is extremely hard to achieve with todays talent pool and we can’t expect them all to be champs or even top 5-10. I just appreciate the show for what it is but I do understand the criticism.

[@oldironsides4107]

It’s almost entirely about a fighters family and pets. It’s unwatchable

[@MartialGlobe]

Well said, I'd definitely appreciate less of the reality tv and more of the fights Edit: nevermind that's just the contender series

[@nothingmuch8865]

Damn, online appointment. I'm watching this as soon as it's done, blessings, Guns!

[@EverettBurger]

Old TUF: bring in a series of coaches to not only teach the athletes, but the audience as well. New TUF: treat the show as a long commercial for an upcoming PPV that might not even happen

[@kareemelrefaay5300]

MMA and UFC just outgrew the ultimate fighter idea because it was the shortcut to fame and the best way to introduce the fighters to fans as a fighter and a person too but now having an average social media presence would do a better job introducing the new fighters to the fans and one viral clip is a way shorter way to getting a contract than winning TUF so it's not a high stakes show anymore so it won't get the same interest from fans so the coaches don't care too

[@reaver1414]

I definitely think it was just oversaturation. It was too much of a good thing that just made it less special. You remember your first lover more then your 15. I lost a little interest each season until I couldn't keep track of them anymore and stopped watching

[@shadow_realm47]

Also you could pick up good contenders to follow and show off a bit in front of your friends, like Tony Ferguson Whittaker Cody Nate Diaz Usman all looked like potential stars in their first appearances. On the other hand the newer contenders all look like bums. I used to love the show but they're not serious people on there anymore. Coaches are blatantly there just "for the money" and the contestants are there to cry about their tragic backstory/give up easily. Dana doesn't even care anymore, they used to call it Dana White's favorite thing but they stopped doing that.

[@Atlas92936]

It’s gets old after a while. How much can you stretch fighting across different formats until it gets repetitive?

[@lxmedianetwork2782]

Great video bro👊

[@JRF1004]

This is the way to go Kiiyon keep it up

[@childvspuddle5732]

Great vid kiiyon

[@Ottobuns]

i’ve enjoyed this season so far

[@nyteowl8069]

Yeah I dont think its as bad people make it out to be. Not one of the best seasons but watchable

[@tonyflores7708]

@@nyteowl8069 yeah I think people just had way too high of expectations. I assumed this season wasn’t going to be anything special and yeah I was right so I’m okay with watching it. I really wasn’t expecting much

[@dawg4769]

It’s definitely not one of the better ones. Conor and Urijah was way better talent and interactions

[@tonyflores7708]

@@dawg4769 I’m not trying to argue but how did Conor vs faber have good talent? The final was Artem lobov vs Ryan hall. That’s pretty much bottom of the barrel.

[@dawg4769]

@@tonyflores7708 Well a lot of the other dudes besides them. I remember their being a lot of banger fights but artem basically knocked everyone out which says a lot lol, I guess you are right. Ryan hall did go on a big win streak though and got stopped by a brick wall in Topuria

[@Drillakilla80]

Kiyon... You write really well. When listening to this it was like you were answering an essay question, maybe there is something to tap into here for work...

[@peteryozell7325]

In defense of the lower numbers, back when Connor first coached, everyone watched live. Nowadays it’s available on demand on ESPN+ and UFC fight pass, making it lease appealing to watch it as it debuts.

[@bridgelaurie9490]

Seeing Sonnen move that fast always shocked me at how quick these dudes are

[@rennohara376]

So glad kiiyon back its heart warming to see his videos

[@losangelesrampartaudits9066]

Great video bro‼️ u went into details a lot I love it

[@RudeBuddha]

Man gone are the days when Rampage, Tony, Nate delivered bangers after bangers

[@MikeBronson515]

I’m enjoying this season. The vets vs prospects thing was an unexpected pleasure

[@cathaldowdall7467]

Keep going kiyon 💪

[@death265]

Taking liquor out of the house killed the Ultimate Fighter.

[@pakhtun7639]

here first for you brother, from dishwashing in a restaurant, we gonn make you own one

[@capncrunch6209]

I kept seeing Conor in thumbnails for the show and i thought everyone was photoshopping the hat on him.

[@memoordonezlomeli5416]

The quality in your videos is amazing

[@ryanhogan1561]

The best and only good seasons were 1-5 when bj and pulver were the coaches was the last good season. Btw, I’m really glad to see you just keep trucking brotha! I enjoy your content a lot even if I crap talk the body language videos, I’m still watching and enjoying. So thanks man

[@renegade5872]

Crazy cause i love the show and enjoy it. Love the backstory on each fighter.

[@misternobodysixtynine]

R.I.P. Stephan Bonner

[@RahvinCairhien]

Dana explaining the rules in the beginning did my head in

[@gregarganda]

I miss the elimination fights to open the seasons with. Every spot in the house was earned.

[@TheMesamesa]

The ufc have clearly outgrown the ultimate fighter, they need to add a twist to the show. it would be cool if they went out and did like a ultimate fighter but with youtubers or amateurs that are hand-picked by the coaches.

[@iamthechosenone10]

All good things come to an end! Its part of life!!!

[@kevinbutler6783]

Watching fights is so damn easily accessible: UFC damn near every Saturday (even if you don't watch the PPVs because you don't want to buy/know how to stream), ONE FC is on Amazon Prime, etc. Social media allows fighters to build themselves far more than a 5 minute clip on TUF. I think even the public's perception of a fighter has massively changed in the past 10 years, where they're no longer seen as just being pieces of shit who only fight to hurt people, to the point where "revealing" a fighter as being a family man, a good person, etc. just isn't surprising. I also think the overall premise just feels a bit too corny for TV now. I also thought it's just flat out stupid to have the guys fight on week 1 when you barely know them, they have zero time to prepare with the coaches, etc. I think the coaches should be locked in the house too To be honest, I think a far more captivating idea would be to take someone who has zero athletic background, no confidence, etc. and document them training MMA for ~2 years or so, ending with them getting into an amateur fight, looking at their character development along the way. I think that would be a lot more relatable to casuals (I don't say this as an insult) rather than finding who is the elite amongst a group of very skilled guys - most people doing BJJ, boxing, etc. don't ever compete, and I think a lot of people are scared to go combat sports/martial arts gyms due to fear of being beaten up, humiliated, etc.

[@SuperHoodCat]

Yessss Kiiyon keep up the consistent content. Good shit brother

[@butterschunkmcdonalds5333]

I feel like what made TUF fun for me was actually getting to know the fighters through their house interactions. Lots of entertaining stuff happened in the house & Gym. Feels like nowadays 3/4 of the episodes are showing the fighters home lives, Their family, Friends, Jobs, Dogs, There's only ever like 20 secs of whats actually going on inside the TUF house, I swear i sometimes wonder if they even actually stay at the house anymore lol. Also the coaches never seem to make for an interesting season, And i hate when half the fighters competing have already fought multiple times in the UFC, Like used to whoever won TUF was instantly a star, Like you'd wonder if they were gonna make it to the title, Now if someone who's already fought and lost against bottom of the barrel competition in the UFC wins TUF, Its like well that dude won't make it that far lol, I swear the past multiple TUF winners i already forgot about. The show is basically another Contender Series but with lesser fighters now, Just isnt fun to watch anymore.

[@difdaf436]

Nice to see a new video brother.. hope your keeping ok.. 🤛👍

[@dano1307]

Youre so right about clips on soxial media. Say i missed the episode and planned on watching the following day but i wake up in the morning and see a bunch of clips of the episode (which they post immediately after the show airs) now i dont really feel the need to watch

[@redlizerad8268]

I wish you the best Kiiyon

[@marcnahas8844]

Commenteing to help bro i kno your gonng through something hard and so am I, but let's just keep on working bro so we can win.

[@ricardozanoni5855]

Kiiyon is back

[@jakemitchell1671]

This may be your most insightful, penetrating analysis you've ever done. Kudos. Excellent work. The Contender series killed TUF, as well as the coaches now being superstars. Conor is an absolute liability with his stardom, multi-millionaire, egotistical personality. TUF was best when the coaches and competitors were nobodys ready to sacrifice everything for a shot at gold. Now there are too many ways to make it to the UFC and too many competing promotions. TUF days are over. Cancel the show.

[@SM-nz9ff]

Yeah whoever thought Conor was a good idea lol...oh yeah Dana been goofin quite a bit lately actually. But honestly everyone takes that shit seriously now and no one is trying to compromise their career with a drunken incident and they don't drink during training. Its actually a lot worse to have "if Dana likes you you're in" a lot worse, he's been feeding the competition with talent since he started that...oh nvm maybe that's just a good thing :)

[@jakemitchell1671]

@@SM-nz9ff 100%

[@DevDreCW]

Dana doesn't give a shit anymore, I dunno if it was the WWE merger, Powerslap, or what, but he seems really checked out to me.

[@Atlas92936]

It’s just the times, tv is dead

[@ilikepushrodv8s210]

The show served its purpose. Let it die.

[@spicesmuggler2452]

KIIYON KIMURA POG! DONT DO DRUGS BE YOURSELF KEEP GRINDING AND LUCK WILL BE ON YOUR SIDE! LOVE AND PROSPERITY

[@abemartinez9623]

Too many athletes just trying to feed their family. Every episode is a guy crying he misses his family bc he hasnt smelled their farts in 2 days. It’s god awful. Nothing between the judges . No judge challenges . It’s boring as hell

[@LtPickles]

Imo, the reason tuf is faltering is because it is no longer on regular cable and is an add-on extra expense

[@mr.love_doctor1272]

Love this content keep it up man

[@KingsofTruth425]

Great analysis and points! 💯

[@charliehunter6387]

Great video!

[@thefinalhammer5442]

Rip ultimate fighter

[@Monotheist137]

The ultimate fighter is awesome. The season just started and I love it.

[@mahasohona966]

Ultimate fighter can make a great comeback if someone dies in the show. I think that's their key to success..

[@kuracutvojumamu]

Nice vid Kiiyon

[@MMAFightMagazine]

You da man Kiiyon!!!

[@lancethrust9488]

IT LACKS DRAMA , LIKE WWE SOME PEOPLE WATCH FOR THE FIGHTS , AND SOME WATCH FOR THE BACKSTAGE DRAMA , I WATCHED TUF FOR FIGHTS AND DRAMA , WITH TUF 5 , 1 , 8 BEING JAMMED PACKED WITH DRAMA

[@joaosimoesdecarvalho8096]

It's also the fact they post the entire episode in 15 different reels the moment it comes out.

[@killatortilla8276]

Good video, ah the glory days

[@NuttZach_AK]

Great job on this video. Really hit the nail on the head. TUF definetely is not what it once was. I cant even remember the last TUF season i found entertaining

[@Bettttrrrr]

Favorite ultimate fighter moment by far is Bryan Carraway getting his head shaved by Akira Corassani then chasing Akira around the house

[@Emperor_x8]

Yes biggest problem is probably the drop-in reality TV especially the ultimate fighter style reality TV's ones that actually do make it or like the voice where it's more competition style but then you run into the other issue of basically turning the ultimate fighter into Dana White contender series 2

[@joniboni5029]

I think they should focus on the training and fighting part way more. When the guys at the end fight, i dont at all know who they are as a fighter, what to expect, what to look out for. One of the best things about Mma is style matchups i think, but none of these guys seem to have a style, prefered tools etc

[@discobites]

New Kiyon Kimura era 🔥

[@Lorenzo-wh4wc]

2 fights for each episode would make it more intresting for me. 😊😊😊😅

[@Spencer-gc4gd]

This seasons been ahhhmessss

[@nolancataldi9661]

Feel like your content has really took a leap up in quality. Good shtuff

[@ToddDCLT4]

It was already bad back when the Jens Pulver vs Bj Penn Season aired. They had a fighter on there who already beat Jens Pulver 3 months prior to the show being filmed......Literally a contestant on the show already beat the Opposite coach in the UFC 3 months before

[@johngutierrez9277]

I didn’t even know it started

[@mitchpictish2250]

Its not showing any training, challenges, home life drama. It's about two fighters personal life then the fight.

[@2in1bodywash22]

THE RISE OF KIYON; NO FALL

[@Berrygirl6911]

People are just watching it on KZbin and that messes up the numbers. Back in the not so past past, a lot of people had cable television but now there’s so many different outlets that it’s hard to tell just how many people are watching. That’s what I believe is going on with the number issues.

[@glennmahoney3911]

Good on ya pal

[@Dayday905]

Great video

[@Jaimellex]

Interesting take as always

[@SabreExtra]

I honestly thought the Contender series replaced TUF, didn't even know it was still on

[@chrishardy6139]

I think a big part is its on espn+, so its limiting how many people see it.

[@asAbsolute]

It’s on Hulu too

[@mpforeverunlimited]

You should start doing livestreams, the donations would probably be more than dishwashing. Like during UFC events

[@dasshape00]

I watched 1st season. And always would intend on watching just never got around.

[@mmacoupon]

After the season 8 with Junie browning I jumped ship. Reality tv just isn’t popular anymore and they didn’t adapt enough.

[@chrisholm9789]

I love mma but I never watched TUF. It reminds me of big brother too much. 2005 was peak reality tv Era hence why the early success

[@jxden_dxdrxs4518]

ill say if there could be 1 more season with exiting people like jon jones vs stipe for example that would be a divine way to wrap up the series or this one honestly this season could be the perfect ending for real

[@MrPablo6857]

I’m assuming I’m the exception to what you were saying about the recent winners 👀👀👀

[@ThOutRider2]

It's no longer 2000s where Reality TV was today's equivalent of TikTok & Instagram

[@ekayn1606]

Reality TV is dead in general. Tony, Nate, & Chael* were the last people who got me invested. "I can't let you get close." Lives in my head rent free😂

[@mudiwamapuranga9755]

Good analysis

[@jasonclark9963]

I still enjoy this show

[@seanmmaii7018]

Vintage kiyon video

[@MovieNerd1994]

For me the main appeal of TUF was the drama/relationships between the guys and all the shenanigans, fights and pranks in the house. I don't really like the whole home videos and talking about their personal lives to the camera stuff. The UFC is an entertainment company, sports are just a part of that.

[@norton2757]

The UFC TUF competition will always be interesting to me.

[@ocmulgeeog]

I think it would be way more successful if the episodes dropped on KZbin like slap fight did.

[@Dunkleosteusenjoyer]

Conor in that Turd Ferguson hat is funny because it's bigger than a regular hat.

[@NipplesOfDestiny]

Best seasons happen to be the ones where Mike Rowe was the narrator, Im not saying that’s a coincidence but it’s definitely a factor

[@harshanakodikara5850]

Important reason is the coaches has to be rivals like Masvidal vs Colby and DC vs Jones and this time whatever they tried to do, Conor and Chandler dosent have bad blood. No beef at all. TJ vs Cody, Joanna vs Claudia was good ones lately.

[@punk1attitude]

The ultimate CONNOR!!!

[@pedrinho12]

Jhonny Walker's brother just signed with ufc 😮