The Ultimate Fighter
Lately I’ve been watching a lot of The Ultimate Figher TV Series. Yes, this is a reality TV show, however; it is the authenticity that lends itself to being credible. The premise is that you start the season with 16 or 18 guys all vying to be rewarded with a 6 figure, 3 year UFC contract. In the first season, it is Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture that are elected the coaches of two teams as the guys are divided evenly into two teams using the grade six schoolyard baseball method. What makes it more interesting is that all of these guys have to live in the same house (more like a mansion) and if they are caught fighting, they are instantly eliminated. Also, they are given a state of the art training facility in which to train. They participate in challenges (a la Survivor) and the winning team gets to pick one representative from their team to fight any member of the opposing team in hopes of weakening the other team. As the season goes on, there is one fight at the end of each show with the loser leaving the facilities immediately. The training is gruelling and demanding and reveals the fortitude of each of the combatants. Definitely worth checking out for anyone who is interested in competition, fitness or even the mold of this type of reality tv product.