12 Ways to Improve the Ultimate Fighter

The Ultimate Fighter is going in its 15th season, and in that time, there have been changes implemented to make the show more fresh.

But as 15 seasons have gone by, there are still changes that need to be implemented to improve the show.

Here are 12 ways that could help freshen up this long-running series.

Flyweight Season

As seen this past weekend in Australia, the flyweight division is exciting, but it is still in the embryonic stages.

With only a little more than a dozen fighters confirmed in the UFC's flyweight division, talent needs to be found to continue to fill out the division. Why there wasn't a flyweight division for this season of The Ultimate Fighter kind of dumbfounds me.

Flyweights would ensure an exciting season while letting viewers get to know them on their journey toward the UFC.

Two Live Fights Per Week

With the implementation of live fights every week brings an extended period of time in the house for the fighters. This problem can be solved, though.

Instead of having a 12-week season with one live fight per week, why not have a six-week season with two live fights per week? It would benefit the fighters, who would not be couped up and kept away from their families for along time. It would also benefit the viewers who get to see more than just the one fight in the night.

Another Comeback Season

The last time they had a comeback season was season four, which was actually, in my opinion, a good season. A lot of times, when you put a bunch of established veterans in a household, egos collide, which makes for good television.

From the fighting perspective, these fighters would already have the skills needed to be in the UFC. They would just need to refine their all-around game, which could lead to stardom in the UFC.

This would need to have two different weight classes, like in season four, to ensure that the very best fighters are picked for the comeback.

Stop Doing Lightweight and Welterweight Seasons

This season of The Ultimate Fighter brings us yet another season of lightweights. How many times can the UFC do lightweight and welterweight seasons before they realize that both divisions are too packed and these seasons do not bring much talent to the table?

There have been 10 fields of lightweights and welterweights. More recently, they have been more prone to making these seasons when they could be focusing on feather and bantamweight (which they did last season, but it was the first time) or light heavyweight and heavyweight (which have significantly less fighters than most divisions).

Using weight classes that need more depth and haven't been seen in a while would definitely make the show more watchable.

Ultimate Fighter: Canada

Dana White has been talking about having seasons of The Ultimate Fighter in other countries, which he is doing with the season in Brazil. He has also stated that India is probably next.

I understand he wants to help open new markets in certain places like India, but the best place for talent other than Brazil right now might be Canada.

A season in Canada would be well-received by Canadian fans, especially if you put their hero, Georges St-Pierre, as one of the coaches. Canada has provided solid Canadian fighters for years, so helping to put new prospects on the map with The Ultimate Fighter: Canada would be a smart move.

World Cup Format

Speaking of international versions of the reality series, Dana White's idea of a World Cup of The Ultimate Fighter winners is a brilliant idea.

Having eight different winners from eight different countries in a tournament format would be exciting and garner ratings. With the United States and Brazil already with the reality series in place, only six other countries would need to host a season.

Dana has already said India, the Philippines and Australia are on deck. Throw in Canada, the UK and another country (Russia, Japan etc.), and you have your eight-country tournament.

The Ultimate Figher: Women's MMA

Dana White says that women's MMA won't be in the UFC for a long time, as there are not enough talented fighters to fill out divisions. Well, here is one solution.

The Ultimate Fighter helps develop talent, as it has in the past. If you want women to gain talent, throw them on the reality series to develop a name and skills of the trade. Even having women's MMA stars like Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano coach could easily drive ratings.

Women's MMA is definitely still not popular, but this show could definitely help out with that.

Gym vs. Gym

Imagine an Ultimate Fighter season where a group of guys training in the same gym went up against the fighters from another gym. How sick would that be?

Having fighters from such camps as American Kickboxing Academy, American Top Team, Tri Star or Greg Jackson's camp go against each other in tournament format would be awesome. It would not lead to the coaches fighting at the finale, but it would still allow us to see fighters train with their actual coaches in an environment they are comfortable with.

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jackson vs. Team ATT. The Ultimate Fighter: Team Renzo Gracie vs. Team AKK. Sounds good to me.

Have the Coaches Fight on the Finale

Despite having Michael Bisping and Jason Miller fight at the finale last season, the only other season that the coaches fought at the finale was season five, when BJ Penn and Jens Pulver squared off.

Having the coaches fight on the live finale brings the season full-circle. Every competitor on the show ends up showcasing their fight on the finale. This is especially great if there is a beef between the coaches, as the ratings would skyrocket for the coaches fight.

Keep having the coaches fight on the finale. It is a great idea, especially for this season. Cruz is still not a household name, but Faber's popularity would make it a well-watched fight.

Offer Better Incentives to Attract the Top Talent

It is hard for the show to attract the top talent, as they do not get paid unless they finish their opponent. Most fighters are willing to work their way through lower organizations and earn money fighting, as opposed to fighting for no money (except knockout/submission bonus).

If the UFC were to offer better incentives for top talent and prospects to join the show, the show could be a powerhouse. Maybe if they did give show a little bit of show money for each fighter, the best talent would flock to the show.

Continued Focus on the Lightest Weight Classes

Last season was the first season we saw a field of featherweight and bantamweight fighters on the show. In my opinion, this was the best season in terms of fights. There is a ton of untapped talent in these two weight divisions, so they need to keep their focus here.

Having another season of featherweights and bantamweights would continue to add depth and stars to the rapidly-developing lower weight divisions. People like to watch this show to watch good fights, so it is obvious they need to continue to have these weight divisions on display.

Bring Back the Egomaniacs

One reason that the show was great in early and middle parts of the series was that people with personality and ego issues made the show interesting and entertaining.

Chris Leben was the original bad boy of the show, playing pranks and destroying things in the house. Junie Browning was always causing trouble. And who could forget the season five backyard brawl between Noah Thomas and Marlon Sims that got those two ousted from the house.

Egomaniacs always make reality T.V. interesting to watch, so the UFC needs to screen these types of fighters into the house (if they have skills obviously).