Back when the UFC was hemorrhaging money and teetering on the brink of being put out of business by Pride FC (who, up to then, basically stole every champion the UFC ever had), ZUFFA did the smartest thing is has ever done in its history; it bought time on fledgling, recently converted Spike.
They aired their attempt to lay a pipeline for discovering talent, TUF, as it would affectionately be known, was that attempt.
Many were skeptical. The UFC seemed to be making a bold play to casual fans in the 18-34 demo to tell them their brand existed (the average PPV buy total was in the 20-30k range).
Many felt this show was designed to give the average viewer a free taste MMA in the candy-coated shell of reality television, and to create superstars to grow their brand, without having to dedicate under-card space to discovering talent.
The Ultimate Fighter hit air waves shortly before UFC 46, and the ratings were strong. It averaged a 1.6, and a 2.2 rating among the target 18-34 male demographic, which pre-The Closer was a solid cable number.
Then, The Ultimate Fighter live finale hit like a sonic boom. Stephen Bonnar and Forrest Griffin battled for three gruelling round in just about the best bar room brawl you'll likely ever see in the octagon.
Like a proud father, UFC President Dana White still calls it the fight that saved the sport.
“It’s amazing to think,” he said, softly, “how close we came to not being here today. If it weren’t for what these guys did, I don’t know if there would even be a UFC. I’ll never forget these guys. Ever.”
While many argue the actual truth of that statement, one thing is clear: it was the sign the fans needed to prove that the product was worth a buy. Pay-per-view numbers shot up 20 times the previous average, and the gates have been overflowing for just about every event since.
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