The Ultimate Fighter is one of the most interesting ideas ever to come out of the UFC, and it turns out that it's the show that pretty much launched the company into the mainstream - so you could say that the organisation owes a lot to it. Ever since the first edition, we've seen a number of high-profile fighters and champions come out of the show, and that looks set to continue for many years to come.
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For the 25th edition of the show, there's going to be a slight change, with TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt set to coach in what has been called the 'Redemption' season. We'll talk more about what that means throughout the article, but you should be excited simply after hearing the names of the coaches.
Dillashaw and Garbrandt are two of the biggest names in mixed martial arts right now, and it feels like a breath of fresh air for TUF after a few seasons where people didn't really tune in due to the people involved. With so much potential this edition could be one of the best yet, and who knows - perhaps we'll see a future world champion in the making.
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With that being said, here are five reasons why the new Ultimate Fighter will be fascinating.
#5 Redemption
The idea behind the Redemption tag line is that past competitors from TUF seasons in years gone by will be able to return and once again attempt to win the show and claim a contract with the UFC. Honestly, it's surprising that this hasn't been done already because it's a great idea for a concept when you consider how many talented guys haven't come out on top in past seasons.
Some may have been caught with an unfortunate knockout meanwhile others weren't quite ready, and the combination of all those elements is going to make for some really intriguing fights. Will they be cautious following their last stint on the show, or will they once again decide to go all out in a desperate attempt to claim fame and fortune on the grandest stage?
Now to something a little bit more personal.
#4 The past
On a past season of The Ultimate Fighter, Urijah Faber and his Team USA gathered around in the TUF house to watch TJ Dillashaw defend his UFC Bantamweight Championship. In the clip shown, Cody Garbrandt can be seen celebrating Dillashaw's victory as he was, at the time, the champ's training partner. Oh, how things change.
The two men have clearly evolved from that point and it's going to make for some really tense viewing, as it appears their friendship has turned into a bitter hatred. It's a classic pro wrestling storyline translated into the world of mixed martial arts, with Dillashaw's supposed betrayal set to be played out on television for millions of people around the world to see. Great stuff.
Speaking of Cody No Love...
#3 Garbrandt's age
Cody Garbrandt is 25-years-old and will be one of the youngest coaches in Ultimate Fighter history. As such, there's going to be a unique feel to this season as a lot of the guys he'll be coaching may well be older than the champion or have more experience. It'll be interesting to see how Cody adapts to this and tries to make the best of what is sure to be an awkward situation.
Also read: UFC News: Cody Garbrandt outlines his 'hit list' that ends with Conor McGregor fight
Some of the guys may choose not to listen, meanwhile, others will give him the benefit of the doubt. On the opposite end of the spectrum, TJ Dillashaw is 31-years-old and whilst that's only six years older than Cody, you'd have to imagine that there will be more respect shown to TJ in the grand scheme of the competition. His back is definitely against the wall in this one, and we respect the guy for taking on this challenge.
Now to a man who is a vital cog in the machine.
#2 Faber's inclusion
A while back Conor McGregor opened the eyes of Urijah Faber when he called TJ Dillashaw a snake for leaving Team Alpha Male. At the time he probably didn't too much of it, but looking back the Irishman couldn't have been more accurate and as such the following piece of information is extremely interesting - Urijah Faber will reportedly be an assistant coach on Team Garbrandt.
The role reversal in play here is very interesting, and it makes us wonder how much Faber will factor into the storyline of sorts that will unfold during this season. It sounds as if we're making this into a soap opera and we aren't doing that on purpose - it's just how this whole situation is coming across when you analyse it. Whether you like them or you hate them, this is going to be good.
We conclude with the point that always gets people talking.
#1 Scuffles
As you may or may not have already seen in the preview for this season, there's going to be a few scuffles here and there between the competitors. It's nothing we haven't seen before on The Ultimate Fighter, but it seems as if the guys involved really do hate each other this time around and there's no telling how many fights could break out during the show.
These kinds of things run the risk of making TUF feel staged, but we all tend to underestimate just how badly these guys want to win and shove it in their opponents' faces. Hell, if it were up to us we'd have Garbrandt vs Dillashaw take place in the training centre itself as a sparring warm up before they throw down for the title in a few months time.
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