TUF 9 Is a Mess

Rich Franklin is waging one of the best public wars with the UFC I have ever seen. Every time he answers a question about possibly coaching The Ultimate Fighter 9, he manages to insult the show, the UFC, but also come off looking like a company guy.

His latest punch is more of a hook than the usual jab, as he goes into detail about his reasons for not wanting the coaching job (pay sucks, Vegas sucks).

""I have not personally spoken to Dana, the UFC or any of the production people about the show," Franklin said. "Six weeks in Vegas, I've gotten to the point where I could care less for staying in Vegas for that period of time. It's time away from my family and time away from doing the things I can do to make money. The show doesn't pay very well...But anything the UFC asks me to do, I'm always on board for. I guess they would more than likely -- whoever, between Dan and I wins -- they'd do that fight at 185 pounds," Franklin said. "How that makes sense to me I'm not sure, but I take it one fight at a time. So if the UFC comes to me and says, 'We're doing the Bisping fight at 185 pounds,' then it is what it is.""

With last month's Light-Heavyweight Title bout between two former Ultimate Fighter winners, the popularity of the show should be soaring. Instead, most fans could care less about it. The proposed US vs. UK format has done nothing to change those feelings, either. Forcing a fake rivalry down viewers throats isn't going to improve the ratings. It's not the 1700s any more.

Another thing that isn't going to help ratings is setting up a fight between the coaches that makes little sense. Rich Franklin has all but given up on the Middleweight division. If he can defeat Dan Henderson, it should put him near the top of the line for a shot at the Light Heavyweight title in the latter half of 2009 (with another win over a top foe, of course).

Spending months in TUF Purgatory to face Bisping at Middleweight seems a strange way to reward a guy who remains one of the most popular fighters in the sport.