Ranking every season of The Ultimate Fighter from best to worst
By Chad Porto
13. Season 11 – Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz/Team Franklin
The crop of talent is completely forgettable but what gets this season so high is the unexpected drama with Tito Ortiz. Originally set for a trilogy encounter with Chuck Liddell, in what would end up being Liddell’s last UFC fight, Ortiz pulls out of the fight during the filming of the show. He claims the doctor told him he needed neck surgery. This led to Dana White removing him as a coach and replacing him with Rich Franklin in the fight with Liddell and in the season’s finale episode. Franklin would end up defeating Liddell in their fight following the end of the season.
12. Season 2 – Team Hughes vs. Team Franklin
This season should’ve been so much higher but despite the coaches being fairly close in weight, and champions at the time of filming, the super-fight was never on the table. The season didn’t generate too many great characters, but it did produce a few great fighters. Joe Stevenson and Keith Jardine were two of the grittier guys to come from the show. Plus, future light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans was on the show as well. Don’t forget the man that knocked out an entire MMA company in one shot; Seth Petruzelli.
11. Season 5 – Team Penn vs. Team Pulver
An early UFC fantasy dream fight was the headlining act for this show, with Jens Pulver returning to the UFC to take on BJ Penn in their rematch. Pulver, however, was upset by little-known prospect Joe Lauzon a few months before the show. A little-known prospect who just so happens to be on the show this season. From that little nugget to Penn being a flat-out jerk throughout the entire process, to the Andy Wang of it all, this is not a season to miss. Plus you get to see Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz before they were bigger names.