UFC 136: A Look Back at the TUF 5 All-Stars

For me, The Ultimate Fighter season five was the best season the show ever put out.

It was stacked with legitimate prospects, entertaining personalities, two very entertaining coaches—Jens Pulver and B.J. Penn, who actually fought at the season finale—and it took place right after the UFC brought back the 155-pound division.

Penn would go on to become the division's champion after besting Pulver.

A testament to how good the season was is the contestants' success after the show. And with two of them fighting this Saturday at UFC 136, it seems like a good time to take a look at the best of the bunch from season five.

Cole Miller

After submitting Allen Berube by triangle choke, Cole Miller lost by controversial TKO to Joe Lauzon in the quarterfinals of the season five tournament. Still, Miller gained attention as having some of the most potential on the show.

At the season finale, Miller stopped Andy Wang with a head-kick just over a minute into the first round. Since then, Miller has gone 6-3 in the Octagon, notching wins over such notable names as Leonard Garcia, Jorge Gurgel, Dan Lauzon and Ross Pearson.

Most recently, Miller submitted T.J. O'Brien in August at UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle.

Miller may not be considered a contender at this point, but he has proven himself to be far better than your average TUF contestant.

Joe Lauzon

Before entering the show, Joe Lauzon had made a name for himself by pulling off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history by knocking out former champion and season five coach Jens Pulver. So it came as a surprise to many when the UFC decided to invite Lauzon to be a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter.

Many considered Lauzon to be the favorite going in.

After defeating Brian Geraghty and Cole Miller, Joe Lauzon was outworked by Manny Gamburyan in the semifinals, losing by unanimous decision. Still, with his performances in this stacked field and his earlier win over Pulver, Lauzon looked destined to become a contender in the recently resurrected lightweight division.

Since the show, Lauzon has compiled a 6-3 record in the UFC, with all three losses coming against respectable contenders in Kenny Florian, Sam Stout and George Sotiropoulos.

Lauzon most recently submitted Curt Warburton in June and is now scheduled to meet dangerous contender Melvin Guillard on Saturday at UFC 136.

Matt Wiman

Matt Wiman was one of the rare TUF contestants to make his UFC debut before entering the show.

At UFC 60, Wiman met Spencer Fisher and waged an entertaining brawl before being stopped by the veteran in the second round.

Wiman made easy work of Marlon Sims before losing to eventual finalist Manny Gamburyan by unanimous decision.

Since the show, Wiman has gone 8-3 in the UFC, recently notching a second win over season six winner Mac Danzig.

Manny Gamburyan

Cousin of then contender Karo Parisyan, Manny Gamburyan was known to be a talented fighter before the show began, but many felt that he was too small to compete with many of the large lightweights on the cast.

Gamburyan made any critics eat their words by blazing through the competition, defeating Noah Thomas, Matt Wiman and Joe Lauzon to earn his way into the finals. There he met Nate Diaz, but after winning the first round, Gamburyan's shoulder popped out of the socket and he was forced to tap.

Gamburyan went 2-2 in the UFC following the show before dropping down to featherweight and joining the WEC ranks. There, he won three straight, most notably a first-round knockout of former champ Mike Brown, earning himself a title shot against Jose Aldo.

Though competitive in the first round, Gamburyan was knocked out by Aldo in the second frame.

Since then, he returned to the UFC and lost a close majority decision to Tyson Griffin.

Nate Diaz

Brother of popular fighter Nick Diaz, Nate was seen early as one of the favorites to win the season.

After besting Rob Emerson and Corey Hill, Diaz submitted now top contender Gray Maynard in the semifinals to earn a match with Manny Gamburyan in the finals.

After losing the first round but staying active from the bottom, Diaz won by default when Gamburyan quit due to a shoulder injury early in the second round. It may not have been the most impressive final, but Diaz was the winner of a very stacked tournament.

Since then, Diaz has gone 8-5 in the UFC, going 2-2 in the welterweight division before returning recently to dominate and submit Takanori Gomi at lightweight. With wins over Melvin Guillard, Kurt Pellegrino and a close decision loss to Gray Maynard—that many felt Diaz won, including myself—Diaz is a welcome addition back to 155-pounds.

Gray Maynard

After blazing through Wayne Weems and Brandon Melendez, Gray Maynard was submitted by Nate Diaz in the semifinals, but showed plenty of promise for a 2-0 fighter.

Since the show's conclusion, Maynard has remained undefeated, though he did have a no-contest with Rob Emerson at the show's finale when he forced Emerson to tap and knocked himself out with the same slam.

Maynard beat top contenders Roger Huerta, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller and Kenny Florian before being given a title shot against champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 125. In one of the best fights in recent memory, the two battled to a hotly contested draw.

Now, Maynard will get a second chance at capturing the title and becoming the fourth TUF contestant to become a champion in the UFC in his rematch with Edgar at UFC 136 on Saturday. It should be a good one.