Is The Ultimate Fighter 11 worth my time?

I’d all but given up on The Ultimate Fighter following last season’s Kimbo- and Rampage-powered flabbyweight meltdown. It was just a horrible, horrible show full of made-for-TV hype for a fight that still hasn’t happened and a bunch of fat, talentless fighters.

And I’m not convinced that TUF 11 will be any better. Okay, I know it has to be better, but how much better will it be? Sure, the fighters look to have some chops, what little we saw of them in the cage during Wednesday night’s season opener. There were some knockdowns and knockouts and one graphic re-creation of Rich Franklin’s caved-in nose (it was like watching a bridge collapse during an earthquake). So maybe the fighters this season have more skills. Maybe.

But what about the coaches? Last season was all about hyping a fight between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans, a fight we already knew wasn’t going to happen because Rampage (temporarily) quit the UFC to make The A -Team. So their on-screen squabbles weren’t suspense-building, they were fucking annoying and pissed me off the more I had to sit through them.

This time, it’s Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. It’s a fight I wouldn’t mind seeing. Except there’s already strong rumours that Ortiz pulls out of the show at some point for some reason and is replaced by Franklin. There have also been rumours that Franklin will also fight Liddell in the TUF Finale instead of Ortiz. The latest rumour is that Liddell will actually face Randy Couture – for the fourth freakin’ time! – at UFC 116 on July 3. Who the hell wants to see that fight?

More importantly, who wants to watch a whole season of TUF when they’re hyping the hostility between Liddell and Ortiz if the two never fight? Fool me, once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

As a side note, it’s kind of sad that I’m already looking forward to TUF season 12, which could feature Georges St. Pierre coaching opposite the winner of UFC 113’s Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley throwdown and which might also benefit from a little Guida action.