UFC
Complete list: Top 15 most iconic TUF winners ever
The Ultimate Fighter. Photo: USA Today Sports and via Instagram (@mattserrabjj)
American reality television series “The Ultimate Fighter” returned this week with the hyped season 31, featuring Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler as coaches.
Many great UFC fighters broke through in TUF to later become some of the most loved MMA athletes out there.
Let’s look in the rear-view mirror and check out the 15 most iconic winners in TUF history!
Diego Sanchez, 2005
Diego Sanchez. Photo: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports
Diego ”The Nightmare” Sanchez participated in the first season of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter and became known for his odd behaviour in the house.
In the cage, however, Sanchez made it to the finals where he defeated Kenny Florian via TKO in the first round.
Forrest Griffin, 2005
Photo via Instagram (@forrestgriffin)
Before TUF 1 Forrest Griffin had given up his MMA career and worked at a County Sheriff’s Department in Georgia, but he was persuaded by UFC president Dana White to take part in the show.
In the TUF 1 finals he defeated Stephan Bonnar by unanimous decision, in what later was described as the ”most important fight in UFC history”, as it in many ways brought the UFC into the mainstream.
Rashad Evans, 2005
Rashad ”Suga” Evans. Photo: Miguel Tovar – USA TODAY Sports
Former UFC light heavyweight champion, and Hall of Famer Rashad Evans won the second season back in 2005.
As the shortest and the second-lightest of the nine heavyweight competitors Evans was the underdog in each of his fights, but made it to the finals where he defeated Brad Imes via split decision.
Matt Serra, 2006
Photo via Instagram (@mattserrabjj)
Matt Serra won the TUF 4 back in 2006 to earn a title shot against the UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Serra fought St-Pierre in April 2007, andwon the welterweight title in the biggest upset in MMA history as he TKO’d the legendary GSP in round one.
Michael Bisping, 2006
Michael Bisping. Photo via Instagram
Future middleweight champion Michael Bisping won TUF 3 as a light heavyweight with a second-round TKO over Josh Haynes in the finals.
Nate Diaz, 2007
Nate Diaz. Photo: UFC / Josh Hedges
In TUF 7, back in 2007, Nate Diaz showed off his incredible toughness and skills as he submitted all of his opponents to win his UFC contract.
Close to a decade later, he became one of the biggest names in the sport of MMA with his two fights against Conor McGregor in 2016.
Ryan Bader, 2008
Photo via Bellator MMA
Future Bellator champion Ryan Bader broke through in TUF 8 back in 2008.
Bader was the first choice by coach Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and went on to win his first three bouts. At the TUF 8 finale, he finished Vinicius Magalhaes with a massive first-round knockout.
Tony Ferguson, 2010
Tony ”El Cucuy” Ferguson. Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Tony Ferguson applied to compete in the UFC’s reality series multiple times, and in 2010, he was finally accepted. That’s something the promotion probably never came to regret.
After stopping all his opponents he faced Ramsey Nijem in the finals and won by knockout in the first round to secure a UFC contract.
The rest is, as they say, history.
Robert Whittaker, 2012
Photo via Instagram (@robwhittakermma)
Future middleweight champion Robert Whittaker won The Ultimate Fighter: ”The Smashes” back in 2012.
In his first fight on the show, Whittaker put himself on the map as he knocked out Luke Newman after 19 seconds, leaving him unconscious for several minutes. The win earned ”BoBby Knuckles” $25,000 for ”Knockout of the Season”.
In the finals he defeated Brad Scott via unanimous decision to become the first winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes.
Carla Esparza, 2013
Carla Esparza. Photo via Instagram (@ carlaesparza1)
Future two-time strawweight champion Carla Esparza was top seed on season 20 of TUF back in 2013.
She submitted Angela Hill in the preliminary round. In the quarterfinal round, she defeated Tecia Torres and won the fight via majority decision, and then defeated Jessica Penne in the semifinal by unanimous decision.
Esparza won the inaugural UFC strawweight championship on season 20 of TUF as she submitted future two-time champ Rose Namajunas with a rear naked choke.
Kelvin Gastelum, 2013
Kelvin Gastelum. Photo: Jason Silva – USA TODAY Sports
Future middleweight intertim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum won TUF 17 Year back in 2013.
Gastelum finished all the opposition to get to the finals where he defeated the tough Uriah Hall via split decision.
Julianna Pena, 2013
Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie – USA TODAY Sports
Future UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Pena won the TUF 18 finale by TKO’ing Jessica Rakoczy in the first round.
Eight years later she pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history as she defeated Amanda Nunes, by a second-round submission at UFC 269 in December 2021.
Yair Rodriguez, 2014
Yair Rodriguez. Photo via Instagram: (@panteraufc)
Future featherweight interim champion Yair Rodriguez won the TUF: Latin America Year back in 2014.
Rodriguez defeated Leonardo Morales in the finals and since then just two fights against top level opposition in Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway.
Kamaru Usman, 2015
Kamaru Usman. Photo: USA Today Sports
When MMA fans saw Kamaru ”The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman on TUF 21, it wasn’t obvious that he would become one of the most dominant champions in the UFC welterweight division’s history.
After two decision wins, he submitted Hayder Hassan in the second round to earn the contract.
Tatiana Suarez, 2016
Tatiana Suarez. Photo via Instagram (@tatianasuarezufc)
Undefeated strawweight Tatiana Suarez submitted all of her opponents to win the TUF 23 in 2016.
In the finals she stopped Amanda Cooper by a first-round D’Arce choke.
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