The Ultimate Fighter: 9 Alumni Who Deserve Another Shot in UFC

The Ultimate Fighter reality show has been a great tool for the UFC, as it allows little-known fighters to make a name for themselves in the industry while developing their skills. Many fighters have used the show to jump-start their UFC careers.

Champions such as Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin started their UFC careers on the show. Others have become mainstays in their respective divisions.

Through 15 seasons of the show, there have been fighters that have come and gone. Let's examine nine of them that should be given another shot in the UFC.

Josh Burkman

Appearing on the second season, Josh Burkman won his first fight in the house, before exiting due to an injury suffered in the fight against Melvin Guillard.

Burkman actually had 10 fights with the UFC, earning his spot with the company at The Ultimate Fighter 2 finale. He held notable wins over Drew Fickett, Josh Neer and Forrest Petz. Unfortunately, he faltered against top level guys like Jon Fitch and Karo Parisyan.

Although his 5-5 UFC record is not exactly stellar, he has proven his worth in the regional circuit. He is 4-1 since his exit, beating Ultimate Fighter veterans Brandon Melendez and Jordan Smith.

Give him one more shot and see if he can hang with the best.

Patrick Cote

This weekend, The Ultimate Fighter 4 alumnus Patrick Cote fights to make his way back into the UFC.

Cote is best remembered for challenging Anderson Silva for the middleweight title back at UFC 90, losing due to injury. Cote is very difficult to finish, working hard on his ground game to get back into the majors.

Although a meager 4-7 in his time in the UFC, it's not as if he was fighting bums. Cote stepped into the squared circle with names such as Tito Ortiz, Anderson Silva, Chris Leben and Alan Belcher.

He is always entertaining and has a chin of granite. He has beat three UFC veterans since his exit, and is chomping at the bit to get back in the UFC.

Din Thomas

Din Thomas is a long time veteran, appearing on The Ultimate Fighter 4, at a time before the featherweight division was much of an option.

Thomas is a nine-fight UFC veteran, going 5-4 as a lightweight. Since his exit from the UFC, Thomas has won three in a row (including a win over UFC veteran Dustin Pague) and has dropped to featherweight.

Although he has not fought since 2010, that doesn't mean the scrappy veteran is finished. He has an upcoming fight, and should he win, the featherweight division should welcome him with open arms. 

Ben Saunders

Current Bellator welterweight tournament participant Ben Saunders is a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter 6. The day he got cut, I was a little disappointed.

Saunders is a dangerous fighter in many areas. At 4-3 in the UFC, Saunders only lost when stepping up to the better fighters in the division. Mike Swick, Jon Fitch and Dennis Hallman all beat Saunders, but he showed guts in all those fights. He notably knocked out Marcus Davis with his brutal knees.

He is 4-1 since leaving the UFC, with his lone loss coming in the Bellator tournament championship to Douglas Lima. Whenever his contract is up with Bellator, the UFC should swoop in and re-sign him.

Gerald Harris

There was no reason to cut Gerald Harris in the first place, so it is definitely time to bring him back.

Harris competed on the seventh installment of The Ultimate Fighter, and went 3-1 in the UFC. He held wins over John Salter, Mario Miranda and Dave Branch, earning two "Knockout of the Night" bonuses.

He then had a lackluster loss to Maiquel Falcao, and was immediately sent packing from the UFC. Seems a little unjust if you ask me, especially since he finished his three previous opponents.

Since his exit, he has gone 3-1 in promotions such as DREAM, Tachi Palace Fights and Legacy Fighting. In that time, he has beat Anthony Ruiz, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Eric Davila.

Joe Duarte

You may be asking yourself, "What season was this guy on?" That is a fair question.

Joe Duarte was on the eighth season, losing out in the preliminary bouts to Philippe Nover. Nover was an eventual finalist and Duarte was back in the minor leagues to earn his way back in.

The 10-2 Duarte, who hails from Guam, is currently on an impressive five-fight win streak, including Strikeforce victories over Saad Awad and Jorge Gurgel.

He has never fought in the UFC, other than the preliminary bout on The Ultimate Fighter, but looks ready to try his hand at the lightweight division.

Cameron Dollar

A semifinalist in the lightweight tournament of season nine, Cameron Dollar was one-and-done in the UFC, falling to Jason Dent. Since then, he has impressed as a featherweight, while still taking some fights at lightweight.

Dollar would be a great addition to the featherweight division. He is 6-2 since his release from the UFC, including wins over Ian Stonehouse, Kit Cope, and Alvin Robinson. He has polished his submission skills, and could make a run in the UFC.

He could be one of the few bright spots from The Ultimate Fighter: Team USA vs. Team UK.

Jamie Yager

Season 11 brought us a very controversial, yet promising fighter in Jamie Yager. He irritated everybody around him, but was undoubtedly skillful.

After his inability to win the show, he got another chance at the finale, where he fell to Rich Attonito. He then exited the UFC, setting his sights on a lower weight class (welterweight).

Since his exit from the UFC, Yager has improved his wrestling and ground game. He is 4-1 since leaving, finishing three of his opponents by knockout or submission.

That afro is too sweet not to have in the UFC.

Chuck O'Neil

This one may be a bit of a stretch, but it is hard to deny the heart and desire that "Cold Steel" had.

Appearing as a replacement on season 13, Chuck O'Neil battled his way to semifinals, where he lost to eventual winner Tony Ferguson.

He then lost at the finale, in a lackluster performance against Chris Cope. That is where the journey ended for O'Neil.

Since then, he has rebounded by defeating UFC veteran Marcus Davis in the regional circuit. O'Neil has the desire and work ethic to become a great fighter. Given another shot, I think O'Neil can show his improvements.