Ultimate Fighter Finale: Why Travis Lutter Is the Worst TUF Winner of All Time

Since its creation in 2005, The Ultimate Fighter has given up and coming MMA fighters a chance to win a UFC contract and $100,000.

Season four of the show added an extra bonus. Because it featured UFC vets who had not won a championship, the winners would get a chance to compete for a title.

Matt Serra and Travis Lutter would go on to win the show in their respective weight classes. Serra went on to score the biggest upset in UFC history, beating Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title.

Lutter on the other hand blew his title chances against Anderson Silva before he even stepped foot in the cage, coming into the fight overweight.

A visibly tired and disappointed Lutter walked into the match with the crowd booing. After taking Silva down a few times and threatening to stop him with ground and pound in the first round, Lutter was submitted in the second by triangle and elbows.

Lutter had just one more UFC fight against Rich Franklin before becoming the first Ultimate Fighter winner to be cut from the UFC. He has only had two fights since, going 1-1.

Some may argue that fighters like Kendall Grove and Efrain Escudero have been worse TUF winners. Grove has gone 6-6 since winning TUF back in 2006 while Escudero was cut after going 2-2 and failing to make weight in his last UFC bout. He has since gone 3-1.

What sets these guys apart from Lutter is that they have continued to fight consistently. Lutter has only had four fights since winning the show back in 2006.

Another thing that makes Lutter a special case is he was promised a title shot after winning the show. Something other winners, besides Serra, had to work their way up to. This was the opportunity of a life time and he blew it.

Lutter is now 38 and possibly on the tail end of his career. What was once a promising MMA career after winning the Ultimate Fighter, has now become a thing of the past.

Do you believe Lutter is the worst TUF winner of all time? Share your thoughts and check out why I believe Rashad Evans is the Best TUF winner of all time.