Ranking every season of The Ultimate Fighter from worst to best
6. The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions
TUF 24 was remarkable, and probably a little underrated.
The simple fact that the UFC was running out of opponents for Demetrious Johnson is one thing, but to build an entire TUF season around finding him fresh blood was incredible. Not only was Johnson just that good, but that's how young the men's flyweight division was for the UFC.
This season started the entire run of the flyweight division as a whole. It's because of this season that it wasn't just about Johnson anymore. There was real talent around the world and the UFC just had to find it. Not only was this roster full of fighters from around the world, but they all came with personality and drive to prove themselves.
Tim Elliot won the season and put on a solid showing against Johnson, but to see fighters like Brandon Moreno, Alexandre Pantoja, and Kai Kara-France gives you a good understanding of how important this season was for the UFC. Even fighters like Damacio Page, Terrence Mitchell, and Matt Schnell have had a part to play in the growth of the division.
Fast forward to 2024, two of the fights have won the title in Moreno and Pantoja, with Kara-France knocking on the door.
5. The Ultimate Fighter 3
The top five is always hard to decide, but the seasons with everything you need as a fight fan, along with some personality and fun, are going to get nod.
This season was huge for the UFC. Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz represented a passing of the torch into a new era for the UFC. They absolutely despised each other and their rivalry made for solid television. On top of that, seeing fighters like Michael Bisping, Matt Hamill and Ed Herman for the first time was a big deal.
This season would be in the running for the funniest season of all time but also came with solid fights across the board. You could also say that the best fighters made it through the tournament, other than Hamill suffering an injury after his first fight.
The finale featured a middleweight bout between Kendall Grove and Herman, along with a light heavyweight bout between Josh Haynes and Michael Bisping. Grove and Bisping won their respective fights to receive a UFC contract.