Ranking every season of The Ultimate Fighter from best to worst
By Chad Porto
25. Season 19 – Team Edgar vs. Team Penn
B.J. Penn was 1-4-1 by the time this season aired and had already lost to opposing coach Frankie Edgar twice. No one wanted a trilogy fight by this point, and the roster wasn’t exactly exciting. Sure, you got Lyman Good (who got eliminated before the entry round) and Corey Anderson. Sure, good fighters, but neither guy really made a mark on the show.
24. Season 15 – Live
Having moved to FX after a long tenure with the former Spike TV, the network decided to air the series live as opposed to the tape delay that was used every other time. The show also featured Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz as coaches. Two big stars, with a bitter rivalry. Except, the show wasn’t very memorable besides the usual jabber-jawing. Made worse, the roster wasn’t exactly off the charts but it did feature Myles Jury, Al Iaquinta, and every mother’s favorite son, Michael Chiesa.
23. Season 16 – Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson
Yikes. Roy Nelson was a returning contestant-turned-coach, matched up with Shane Carwin, an impressive but short-lived fighter better known as a trivia question than anything else. The season was lacking any real star power from the contestants, and save for the absurdity of watching Nelson, of all people, try to teach MMA, there was little reason to tune in.