5 times that The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) finale was changed at the last minute

#4. TUF Brazil: Daniel Sarafian withdraws due to injury

An injury forced Daniel Sarafian out of the inaugural TUF Brazil finale

As the US format of TUF began to get tired after around ten seasons, the UFC decided to branch the reality show out internationally. The first of these international seasons was TUF Brazil in early 2012, and surprisingly, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

Hardcore UFC fans were captivated by the more emotional personalities of the Brazilian fighters, and while some TUF tropes such as product placement and feuding coaches remained, overall, the season lacked reality show hijinks and was better for it.

However, UFC fans were disappointed when the promotion was forced to change the season’s middleweight finale on late notice.

Cezar Ferreira and Daniel Sarafian, who’d basically ran through their castmates to make the finale, looked set for an entertaining clash, but with just days to go before the finale show, UFC 147, it was announced that Sarafian had been forced out with an injury.

Instead, Sergio Moraes, who’d been knocked out by Sarafian in the TUF semi-finals, stepped in to fight Ferreira, and ended up losing a unanimous decision in what was actually a decent fight.

Sarafian did eventually debut in the UFC six months later, and went onto lose to Ferreira in their long-delayed fight in 2013, over two years after the TUF final.

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#3. TUF 22: Saul Rogers fails to secure a visa

Visa issues forced Saul Rogers out of the TUF 22 finale - and out of the UFC altogether

2015’s TUF 22 was built on the star power of Conor McGregor, who coached a team of European prospects against a team of American fighters led by Urijah Faber.

The season had a number of oddities, most notably a ruling that meant UFC President Dana White could remove one of the winners in the round of 16 for fighting in a dull manner, but the biggest twist was saved for the final show.

The UK’s Saul Rogers was comfortably the season’s most impressive fighter as he ran through Billy Quarantillo, Ryan Hall and Marcin Wrzosek to cement his spot in the final round.

HIGHLIGHTS: Saul Rogers (Team McGregor) vs. Billy Quarantillo (Team Faber) https://t.co/4AvOgPjz5b #TUF pic.twitter.com/9XyvlOuqRH

— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) October 8, 2015

However, despite ‘The Hangman’ looking like a ready-made UFC star, it turned out that some legal issues from his past – that Rogers had failed to disclose when he applied for a spot on TUF – meant that he was unable to secure a visa for the finale.

The British fighter was unceremoniously cut from the UFC, and hasn’t been back since. Meanwhile, his opponent Artem Lobov was instead faced with Hall, who’d only made it as far as the quarter-finals.

And when it came to the fight, ‘The Wizard’ upset McGregor’s training partner, becoming arguably the most unlikely TUF champion in the show’s history. Rogers, meanwhile, would go onto a career with Bellator MMA.