TUF 20: 5 Things to Look for This Season

The latest rendition of The Ultimate Fighter debuted last week to horrific ratings that made it the worst season premiere in the storied history of the show. TUF 20 only drew 536,000 viewers which may come as a bit of surprise due to the positive chatter surrounding the show leading up to the premiere.

TUF 20 features a different format than we've grown to know over the years, and more importantly, an actual champion is going to be produced this season as the winner of the show will be crowned the first UFC women's strawweight champion.

Aside from the poor ratings to begin the season, this series of The Ultimate Fighter is about as good of a chance the UFC has in resurrecting a series that has been on the decline for quite some time. The roster of female fighters should attract a surging demographic, and make for television that will generate some much needed publicity.

Read on for five things to look for during this season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Comparisons to Ronda Rousey

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If you're tired of hearing the name Ronda Rousey, don't watch TUF 20.

We've already seen the promo of Dana White saying there's somebody in the house that is the next Ronda Rousey. Undoubtedly each and every show will include a reference to the face of not only Women's MMA, but today's MMA as a whole.

Let's face it, this format of The Ultimate Fighter featuring all-female fighters wasn't on the mind of anyone a few years ago. Rousey is the reason these women are getting a chance at making a living doing what they love to do in fighting.

The "best" of any sport is always going to be a desire of replication. Fans in the NBA compare the best players today to Michael Jordan, and there are examples like that through every major sport. Rousey is no different. Even when she's long gone and retired, fans will compare the stars of that moment to the legacy she left behind.

Mellow Camps

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At some point in the season one would have to expect there to be some drama between the camps of Team Pettis and Team Melendez. Episode one of TUF 20 depicted Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez as two of the most polite individuals one could ever meet. It wouldn't have been surprising to see a smiling Nate Diaz as well. Something just felt off with the whole setting.

Pettis and Melendez are scheduled to fight in December at UFC 181, but early indications are that both coaches were cordial for the entire taping of the show. Melendez brought in Diaz for an intimidation factor, but even Nate appears to have held himself in check during the six weeks without incident.

Some of the most memorable moments in the history of TUF involve coaches losing their cool against one another, but this has a different vibe. Pettis and Melendez appear to have been directed to take a back seat and leave all the action to the contestants of the show. While this may free up some time for us to learn more about the strawweights, it also eliminates some of the buildup for the coaches fight that usually occurs during the taping of the show.

Ratings Discussions

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As mentioned in the opening slide, the ratings for The Ultimate Fighter have been on the decline for quite some time and this season opened up with the worst season debut in its history. Has the show run its course? It certainly appears to have been going in that direction for a while, but there's reason for hope.

The women's side of the UFC has been a spark plug to quite a few cards in 2014 and the promotion is counting on this cast to get TUF heading back in a positive direction. Should viewership continue to decline even with the stakes as high as they are for this season, the UFC may have to seriously consider making more than a few slight tweaks to the show's platform.

The 'Obnoxious One'

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Every show has that one person who you can't stand. For this season of The Ultimate Fighter, that person is Felice Herrig.

Herrig has pretty much solidified her spot as the show's villain after just one episode. She's somebody who talks a lot, and the causal fan's first impression of her is that she is completely full of herself. Would that casual fan be way off in their assessment? Absolutely not, as her charisma is a bulk of the reason she has had the success she's had up to this point.

As a fighter, she can compete. She's the No. 6-ranked fighter in the house, but it'd be hard to envision her making a run for this initial title. Success for her isn't going to be winning the belt, it's positioning herself to be one of the most well-known fighters in the division.

Carla Esparza

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The pride of Redondo Beach, Calif., Carla Esparza enters The Ultimate Fighter house as the No. 1-ranked fighter and the first Invicta FC strawweight champion.

"Cookie Monster" has a great balance of personality that will draw in fans that are looking to gravitate towards somebody who appears down to earth but can also flip that competitive switch and be as complete of a fighter as one will see in the Octagon.

Esparza has a huge target on her back and it will be interesting to watch how she deals with the pressure of being the favorite throughout the show. She doesn't appear to get rattled easily, and it would be a surprise to not see her crowned as the UFC's first strawweight champion.