The debut season of
The Ultimate Fighter
''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...
(later designated ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'') premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
fighters (eight
light heavyweight
Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...
s weighing from 186 to 205 lb and eight
middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
s weighing from 171 to 185 lb) were invited to participate in the show where they resided together and trained in two separate teams coached by
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
light heavyweight fighters
Chuck Liddell and
Randy Couture
Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former United States Army, U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman ...
. The teams competed in physical challenges, segments hosted by singer
Willa Ford
Amanda Lee Williford (born January 22, 1981), known by her stage name Willa Ford, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model, television personality and film actress. She released her debut album, ''Willa Was Here'', in 2001. Ford also ha ...
, to determine which had the right to pair one of their fighters against an opponent of their choice in the same weight class, with the loser being eliminated.
The finale was broadcast live on April 9, 2005, where the two finalists in each weight class faced off for a contract with the
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
. It was the first live
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
broadcast on non-pay-per-view television, and it drew a very impressive 1.9 overall rating. The series was also broadcast in the
UK in the spring of 2005 on
Bravo
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
*Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
* Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
*Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
. A 5-disc DVD set of "The Ultimate Fighter" was released on November 1, 2005.
Cast
Coaches
* Chuck Liddell, head coach of blue team
* Randy Couture, head coach of green team
*Marc Laimon, grappling coach
*Ganyao Fairtex, Muay Thai coach
*Peter Welch, boxing coach
Fighters
:''Listed as originally assigned.''
*Light heavyweights
**Team Liddell:
Bobby Southworth
Bobby Masai Southworth (born December 16, 1969) is a retired American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who fought in the Light Heavyweight (MMA), Light Heavyweight division.
He has fought in PRIDE FC and appeared on Season 1 of The Ultima ...
,
Sam Hoger
Samuel Earl Hoger (; born June 28, 1980) is an American retired mixed martial artist, poker player, and an actor, most notable for appearing on the first season of ''The Ultimate Fighter'', a reality television series produced by the Ultimate Fi ...
,
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin (born July 1, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Development at the ...
, Alex Schoenauer
**Team Couture:
Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Patrick Bonnar (April 4, 1977 – December 22, 2022) was an American mixed martial artist. Bonnar competed as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC for most of his career. Bonnar was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter 1, his TUF Ultimate Fi ...
,
Mike Swick
Michael Timothy Swick (born June 19, 1979) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist, who spent most of his career competing for the UFC's middleweight division. Swick, who trains at American Kickboxing Academy alongside fellow welt ...
,
Lodune Sincaid
Lodune Ki Sincaid (May 7, 1973 – April 7, 2019) was an American professional mixed martial artist. He was WEC Light Heavyweight Champion in 2006, and was featured on the UFC's ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'' reality show, losing to Bobby Southwort ...
, Jason Thacker
*
Middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
s
**Team Liddell:
Josh Koscheck
Edinboro Fighting Scots
Josh D. Koscheck (born November 30, 1977) is an American retired mixed martial artist who fought at Welterweight for the UFC and Bellator MMA. Koscheck made his debut with the UFC on the first season of the realit ...
,
Diego Sanchez
Diego Sanchez (born December 31, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Sanchez is most known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U ...
,
Kenny Florian
Kenneth Alan Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011–2018, and he also ...
, Josh Rafferty
**Team Couture:
Nathan Quarry
Nathan Parker "Nate" Quarry (born March 19, 1972) is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter who is most notable for his appearance in ''The Ultimate Fighter'', a reality show from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as co-hosting ...
,
Chris Leben
Christian Cyrus Leben (born July 21, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist, referee, and bare knuckle boxer. A professional MMA competitor from 2002 until 2013, he most notably competed in the UFC in the Middleweight division, compiling ...
,
Alex Karalexis
Alexander Karalexis (born September 20, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2011, Karalexis was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 1, and competed for the UFC and WEC.
Background
Kar ...
,
Chris Sanford
Chris Sanford (born March 12, 1968) is an American retired mixed martial artist who has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting. He appeared on the first season of ''The Ultimate Fighter''.
Background
Sanfor ...
Others
*Hosts: Dana White,
Willa Ford
Amanda Lee Williford (born January 22, 1981), known by her stage name Willa Ford, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model, television personality and film actress. She released her debut album, ''Willa Was Here'', in 2001. Ford also ha ...
*Narrator:
Mike Rowe
Michael Gregory Rowe (born March 18, 1962) is an American television host and narrator. He is known for his work on the Discovery Channel series ''Dirty Jobs'' and the series ''Somebody's Gotta Do It'' originally developed for CNN. He hosted a s ...
Episodes
Episode 1: "The Quest Begins" (original airdate: 17 January 2005)
*The 16 fighters are driven to the UFC Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they meet
Willa Ford
Amanda Lee Williford (born January 22, 1981), known by her stage name Willa Ford, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model, television personality and film actress. She released her debut album, ''Willa Was Here'', in 2001. Ford also ha ...
, Dana White, and the coaches, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell.
*At the house, Chris Leben keeps on drinking heavily, and starts to make fun of Jason Thacker, and give people nicknames.
*At 2:00 am, while Thacker is in the shower, Leben decides to urinate on his teammate's pillow, without him noticing.
*The fighters are woken up at 5:00 am by Couture and Liddell, and the first day of training proves too much for almost half of the fighters.
*During the jiu jitsu training, Nate Quarry cuts himself on his chin after landing a takedown.
*After the second day of training, Thacker talks to Couture and says that the training is too much for him, but Couture talks him into staying and trying to get the training done.
*On the 4th day, everyone is ready to spar, except for Thacker, because of the training, so Bobby Southworth and Lodune Sincaid decide to talk him into going with them, saying they need him and he is part of the team.
*While Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar are sparring, Griffin accidentally headbutts Bonnar, causing a need for stitches.
*Light heavyweight and middleweight teams are chosen by coaches Liddell and Couture:
*
Episode 2: "Team Challenges" (original airdate: 24 January 2005)
*Diego Sanchez and Stephen Bonnar argue over asparagus, because Sanchez ate the asparagus heads and left the stalks in the fridge.
*Team Liddell wins the first light heavyweight challenge.
*Later that night, Lodune Sincaid is making jokes about being homosexual, like dressing in dresses.
*Jason Thacker is sent home by Couture.
*Chris Leben and Sincaid continue to drink and starts to offend people. Later, a drunk Leben decides to hop the wall and find a pay phone to call someone, not mentioned.
*The next morning at practice, Couture finds out about the incident, and Leben and Sincaid apologize for their actions.
*Team Liddell wins the first middleweight Challenge.
*Chris Sanford is sent home by Couture.
Episode 3: "Making Weight" (original airdate: 31 January 2005)
*Alex Schoenauer wins the light heavyweight challenge. Bobby Southworth comes in last and will be forced to fight in the elimination bout.
*Team Liddell chooses Southworth to fight Lodune Sincaid.
*Southworth has to cut 20 lb. in 24 hours, with the help of Josh Koscheck and Liddell, but he comes in at 208 lb, so the Nevada State Athletic Commission gives Southworth 2 hours to cut 2 pounds, and he successfully makes it to 206 lb.
*Southworth describes the weight cut as "pure hell."
*Bobby Southworth defeated Lodune Sincaid by KO (strikes) at 0:12 of the second round.
Episode 4: "On The Ropes" (original airdate: 7 February 2005)
*Alex Schoenauer is traded to Team Couture as part of a team reshuffle.
*Team Liddell wins the middleweight challenge and the opportunity to schedule the next fight.
*The blue team chooses Sanchez to fight Karalexis.
*Diego Sanchez defeated Alex Karalexis by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:47 of the first round.
Episode 5: "Un-Caged" (original airdate: 14 February 2005)
*Nate Quarry injures his ankle after Couture lands on his ankle during a takedown in practice.
*White decides to allow the fighters to have a night out at the
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a British-based multinational chain of theme restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and rol ...
, and had a few drinks, and some of them get drunk.
*At 2:00 am, the fighters are drunk and continuing to drink, and Josh Rafferty says that there is no more alcohol in the house.
*By the pool, Chris Leben says something that angers Bobby Southworth, and then Southworth calls Leben a "fatherless bastard," which hurts Leben's feelings. Five minutes later, Southworth apologizes to Leben, but seems insincere.
*Leben decides to sleep outside to stay away from the other fighters.
*At 3:30 am, Josh Koscheck and Southworth continue to drink and then decide to pull a prank on Leben, by spraying water on the Team Couture member while he is sleeping. This wakes Leben, and causes him to go on a rampage by punching the front door window with his left hand, which cuts his knuckle skin off. Leben then punches Forrest Griffin's door in half, and Griffin later comments that there are pieces of the bedroom door in his bed.
*The next day, White tells Couture and Liddell what happened the previous night between Southworth, Koscheck, and Leben. The fighters are then brought in to explain what happened.
*White decides that the only fair way to resolve the situation is for Koscheck and Leben to fight.
Episode 6: "The Fight Is On" (original airdate: 21 February 2005)
*As fallout from the previous episode, there is no challenge and White schedules the middleweight fight between Leben and Koscheck.
*Josh Koscheck defeated Chris Leben by unanimous decision after two rounds.
Episode 7: "Ground And Pound" (original airdate: 28 February 2005)
*Josh Rafferty is traded to Team Couture in another team reshuffle.
*Team Couture wins the light heavyweight challenge.
*Stephan Bonnar defeated Bobby Southworth by split decision after 2 rounds.
Episode 8: "Sprawl N Brawl" (original airdate: 7 March 2005)
*After his fight with Stephen Bonnar, Bobby Southworth and White have a shouting match about Southworth's attitude and disrespectfulness.
*Nate Quarry is eliminated from the show due to his ankle injury. White asks Quarry to stay on as an assistant coach, and he agrees.
*Quarry gets to choose his replacement from the loser's lounge, and he chooses Chris Leben.
*Team Couture wins the middleweight challenge.
*Diego Sanchez defeated Josh Rafferty by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:48 of the first round.
Episode 9: "Low Blow" (original airdate: 14 March 2005)
*Kenny Florian is traded to Team Couture in another team reshuffle.
*Team Liddell wins the light heavyweight challenge.
*Sam Hoger is accused of stealing from the other competitors.
*Forrest Griffin defeated Alex Schoenauer by submission (strikes) at 1:20 of the first round.
*During his fight with Schoenauer, Griffin receives a cut above his left eye that doctors think is possibly severe enough to prevent him from fighting again.
Episode 10: "Middleweight Semi-Final #1" (original airdate: 21 March 2005)
*Forrest Griffin has to choose a light heavyweight fighter to come back into the house in the case he gets sent home. He chooses Bobby Southworth, who is not given the chance to fight, as Griffin is cleared.
*Kenny Florian defeated Chris Leben by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 3:11 of the second round.
Episode 11: "Middleweight Semi-Final #2" (original airdate: 28 March 2005)
*Diego Sanchez defeated Josh Koscheck by split decision after 3 rounds although one judge did give all 3 rounds to Koscheck.
Episode 12: "Light Heavyweight Semi-Finals" (original airdate: 4 April 2005)
*Forrest Griffin defeated Sam Hoger by TKO (strikes) at 1:05 of the second round.
*Stephan Bonnar defeated Mike Swick by submission (triangle armbar) at 4:58 of the first round.
Light heavyweight bracket
Middleweight bracket
''* Nate Quarry was slated to fight Florian but an injury forced him to be replaced by Leben.''
Legend
The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Couture vs. Team Liddell Finale'' (also known as ''The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale'') was a
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
event
Event may refer to:
Gatherings of people
* Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion
* Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest
* Event management, the organization of eve ...
held by the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC) on April 9, 2005.
Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 1 in both the
middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
and
light heavyweight
Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...
divisions.
Even though the main attraction of the event was
Rich Franklin
Richard Jay Franklin II (born October 5, 1974) is an American businessman and retired mixed martial artist. He is best known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame and a former UFC Middl ...
vs. the
UFC Hall of Famer
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
, the spotlight was stolen by the light heavyweight finale between
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin (born July 1, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Development at the ...
and
Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Patrick Bonnar (April 4, 1977 – December 22, 2022) was an American mixed martial artist. Bonnar competed as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC for most of his career. Bonnar was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter 1, his TUF Ultimate Fi ...
. Hailed as one of the greatest fights in MMA history by many, Forrest and Stephan produced a 3-round stand-up war that went the distance. Although Griffin took the decision, both fighters were given UFC contracts for their amazing performance.
Originally,
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz (; born January 23, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist and politician. He is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. Ortiz is best known for his stints with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UF ...
was offered to fight
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
in a rematch at this event. However, Ortiz left the UFC shortly after
UFC 51
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MM ...
due to contract disputes.
Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar fight
Even though both
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin (born July 1, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Development at the ...
and
Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Patrick Bonnar (April 4, 1977 – December 22, 2022) was an American mixed martial artist. Bonnar competed as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC for most of his career. Bonnar was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter 1, his TUF Ultimate Fi ...
had good records at the time (Griffin 9–2, Bonnar 7–1), many were expecting this fight to be nothing more than filler before the main event between UFC legend
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
and rising superstar
Rich Franklin
Richard Jay Franklin II (born October 5, 1974) is an American businessman and retired mixed martial artist. He is best known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame and a former UFC Middl ...
.
Both fighters had rough, controversial, and impressive wins to make it to the finale. In their first fights, Forrest defeated Alex Schoenauer by TKO but suffered what appeared to be a serious cut above his eye; Stephan earned a controversial decision win over seasonal favorite
Bobby Southworth
Bobby Masai Southworth (born December 16, 1969) is a retired American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who fought in the Light Heavyweight (MMA), Light Heavyweight division.
He has fought in PRIDE FC and appeared on Season 1 of The Ultima ...
. In the semi-finals, both fighters finished their opponents with Forrest defeating teammate
Sam Hoger
Samuel Earl Hoger (; born June 28, 1980) is an American retired mixed martial artist, poker player, and an actor, most notable for appearing on the first season of ''The Ultimate Fighter'', a reality television series produced by the Ultimate Fi ...
by TKO and Stephan defeating teammate
Mike Swick
Michael Timothy Swick (born June 19, 1979) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist, who spent most of his career competing for the UFC's middleweight division. Swick, who trains at American Kickboxing Academy alongside fellow welt ...
by Submission.
Many fans expected a standard fight between 2 contrasting fighting styles—Forrest using his striking against Stephan's jiu-jitsu. Instead, many in attendance were surprised that Stephan chose to stand and strike with Forrest. For three rounds, they brought the crowd to their feet in raucous applause as they battled in a non-stop, knock-down, legendary battle. To many critics and fans, this fight showed the true heart of not only UFC fighters but of all who participate and appreciate MMA.
UFC President Dana White credits this fight as being the driving force behind the future success of the UFC, often stating that due to the fight Spike TV offered them a second season of the show. An estimated three million viewers saw the Bonnar-Griffin fight live on Spike, and the resulting pay-per-view where coaches Liddell and Couture squared off saw a then-record 280,000 buys. It also kicked off what has been termed "the ''TUF'' boom", where interest in both watching MMA fights as well as training in disciplines such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, amateur wrestling, and judo rose amongst the general public. In 2013 both Griffin and Bonnar were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, and whilst Griffin went on to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, this fight is still considered the highlight of both fighters' careers.
Results
Coaches' Fight
UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell 2 was held on April 16, 2005 in
Paradise, Nevada
Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the 2020 census, making it the fif ...
.
See also
*
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
*
List of UFC champions
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
*
List of UFC events
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. UFC's first event, UFC 1, took place on November 12, 1993. Each UFC event contains several fight ...
*
2005 in UFC
The year 2005 is the 13th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. In 2005 the UFC held 10 events beginning with, ''UFC 51: Super Saturday''. The reality TV series ...
References
External links
In Search of Strange Brew...nbsp;– MMA Fighting, Chuck Mindenhall, 24 March 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ultimate Fighter 1, The
2005 American television seasons
2005 in mixed martial arts
The Ultimate Fighter episodes
Spike (TV network) original programming