Unfair for 16 fighters who were forced to go home??

chungt79 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 06:12 PM

I don't mind the loser going home but I thought it was wrong for Dana not to tell the guys the situation. He could have told the guys and we would have seen the guys at their peaks. Afterall, this is about fight skills and if they want to be drama queens on the show, that's their business. Think about the guys who went home. They told their family and friends that they were going be on TUF, only to be going back home only after couple of days. It is a huge embarassment. What would have Dana lost by telling the guys upfront what's going on? In the end, the better fighters would be left anyway. I understand the "Ruediger" argument but who cares about that if he can make weight and put on a good fight? Anyways, what these guys got was false information, whatever sacrifice they made for 6 weeks of expected filming and some serious beatdowns with nothing in return. I just dont see what could have been lost just by telling these guys straight up whats going to happen. Either way, we'd be left with 16 better fighters.

tmlfan · #2 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chungt79

I don't mind the loser going home but I thought it was wrong for Dana not to tell the guys the situation. He could have told the guys and we would have seen the guys at their peaks. Afterall, this is about fight skills and if they want to be drama queens on the show, that's their business. Think about the guys who went home. They told their family and friends that they were going be on TUF, only to be going back home only after couple of days. It is a huge embarassment. What would have Dana lost by telling the guys upfront what's going on? In the end, the better fighters would be left anyway. I understand the "Ruediger" argument but who cares about that if he can make weight and put on a good fight? Anyways, what these guys got was false information, whatever sacrifice they made for 6 weeks of expected filming and some serious beatdowns with nothing in return. I just dont see what could have been lost just by telling these guys straight up whats going to happen. Either way, we'd be left with 16 better fighters.

I have to agree, what a heart breaker going in thinking you are on the show and to be sent home right away. Didnt they mention someone quiting thier job, man having to go back home with nothing to show for it would be hard.

I also dont see what harm could have come in telling the fighters up front, it also may have weeded out the wannabe's as they probably wouldnt go knowing they might be sent home right away and be embarrased. imo

Afro · #3 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 08:32 PM

did we really get the best 16? heh, what if the 2 best fighters out of all 32 fought eachother already?

I think the whole idea is stupid, it doesnt prevent any pussies or posers at all.. just makes sure everyone makes weight.. but heres a better idea Dana..

why not just set a weight limit to be on the show! if you dont make this weight prior to entering the house then you go home.. why not that?

Snapper · #4 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 08:45 PM

yeah i think they could have told the fighters about it ahead of time and just edited out the footage so no one gave it away for the people watching the show. this way that dude that quit his job and sold his car could have just taken a few days off of work and then quit once he found out if he made the house or not.

carbondioxide830 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 09:04 PM

yea i really dont see the point in lying to the guys, causing some to sell their cars, homes, etc. only to go home a few days later, causing humiliation. if all 32 guys knew they had to fight their way on the show, wouldnt they have came better prepared to fight and maybe we would have seen even better fights then the crazy ones we did see? i think it was just a big smack in the face to 16 guys who risked everything to persue a dream to be in the ufc. what a fuckin bastard dana white is.

sandywh · #6 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 09:10 PM

Although I agree w/ Afro about possibly not getting the best fighters, I liked the idea of fighting your way in. And even though 16 guys went home, if they had a good showing they will likely be looking at bigger paydays and bigger org when they get home.

It sucks, it really does, especially for the guys that don't fight full time, or have families, but that is the deal. Sometimes you have to give up everything to get anything.

To use a great example....
A career fighter - Mac Danzig - was basically broke and drove out to Vegas to be on the show. Had he broken his hand in the first fight lost, he would have had to go back home and sit, without fighting (no income) until after the TUF finale before he could fight anywhere. And he is a guy that probably turned down offers from Cage Rage, Strikeforce, and/or Elite XC in order to do TUF.

He gambled it all for what he thought was the opportunity to advance his career the most. Lucky for him, he won and is now likely a well paid fighter for the next 5-10 years.

Coll · #7 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 10:31 PM

I fail to see how thinking you were going to coast into the house and then finding out that’s not true is unfair. They got to show their stuff on national television, in front of the president of the most established MMA organization around today, and in front of Forrest Griffin + Rampage. How many little known fighters can say that? Fact of the matter is that 16 of those guys we saw on the first two shows wouldn’t have even been on TV at all if it wasn’t for Dana bringing in 32 guys.

Could they have been told they would fight ahead of time? Sure that could be nice and all but acting like they are victims is just silly. I guarantee you some of those guys that lost will be able to take their careers to a new level thanks to the great display they put on, others will sink back into oblivion which unfortunately happens to guys that for whatever reason are not up to par in their sport but at least they gave it a go.

Each and everyone one of those guys were lucky. Some more some less but every single one of them was lucky.

jonz · #8 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 10:31 PM

I suspect the fighters were told something. Probably not that you have to fight your way into the house but I suspect they got a warning to show up on day one at fighting weight because there would be fights right away. They may have been even told there was no "loser house" this year. Not sure how much of an embarrassment it would be. they were on the show for a couple of episodes, they got to fight. If the eliminations were done behind the scenes and we just saw the 16 then I would agree with you but they made the show they just didnt make the final 10 episodes

Raiders18 · #9 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afro

why not just set a weight limit to be on the show! if you dont make this weight prior to entering the house then you go home.. why not that?

Because that makes to much sense. Lol.

Frag x 3 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 11:06 PM

What was his name? Wayne Weems or something like that? Getting guys like that off the show before it starts is a good idea. I don't think it's fair to let guys into the house that aren't 1/4th as talented as the rest of the guys. How would Rampage feel if he got stuck with a guy that gets knocked out in the first 15 seconds?

Having the fighters fight their way onto the show is a good idea - not telling them about it is not. They should have told them that they were risking coming out there if they lost in the first 24 hours. Bring your 'A' game.

As for the two best fighters already fighting each other, then so be it. They would have done it on the second episode (in last year's format) instead of the first. This format doesn't change the fact that the two best fighters could have already fought each other.