Ranking every season of The Ultimate Fighter from best to worst

1. Season 1 – The Innagural

Was there any doubt? This isn’t just one of the deepest crops of talent on the show’s history, which it is. It featured one of the greatest fights in UFC history, it crowned their first real mega-star, it created a slew of moments and fighters, and did we mention; it saved the entire company?

Firstly, the coaches. Then UFC light-heavyweight champion Randy Couture was coaching against Chuck Liddell, and their interactions were genuinely respectful and gracious, a rarity anymore in the sport. Couture was seen by many as someone ready for retirement, as he was already 42 at the time. Liddell was the new hotness. A guy that people were backing due to his violent knockout power. The fight was impressive, but Liddell won and took Couture’s title. The vet did retire, five years and one more heavyweight title reign later. Liddell on the other hand went on to be the first massive crossover star of the TUF era of the UFC.

Who knows if The Ultimate Fighter helped created Liddell, but the company sure benefited from his rise in popularity.

While only one of the contestants, Forrest Griffin, would win a UFC championship, the entire cast became stars. Stephan Bonnar, Mike Swick, Josh Koscheck, Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Nate Quarry, and Chris Leben all came out of the show and did great things. Koscheck, Sanchez, Florian, and Quarry all went on to challenge for titles as well.

The reason why this is number one has to be the Griffin and Bonnar fight in the finals. It was bloody, violent, and exciting as hell. The part people always forget was that it wasn’t even the main event. Ken Shamrock vs. Rich Franklin was. It wasn’t that fight that was credited with saving the UFC, however, it was the Bonnar and Griffin, and of course, it did. It was brilliant. A truly gorgeous and exciting fight, worthy of being so vaunted and well-regarded.