With Strawweight Title On The Line, The Ultimate Fighter Is Interesting Again

If there is one television program I am probably too loyal to it is The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Since its debut in 2005, I have stuck by TUF through thick and thin, and the past few seasons have certainly been on the thin side of things. But all of that is about to change! Finally, the UFC has done something that fight fans across the globe should have no problem getting behind. Season 20 of TUF, which starts September 10^th and airs on Fox Sports 1, has the UFC bringing an entirely new weight class into the fold. To make things even more exciting, this season’s winner will be crowned the champion of the new division! If that weren’t compelling enough, the new division is the Women’s Strawweight division (115 pounds), a much needed addition to the UFC’s landscape. Finally female fighters will have a second weight class inside the UFC to reach for. This is a huge plus for the smaller 135-pound fighters who are struggling against much larger competition. Working closely with Invicta FC, UFC officials struck a deal that would bring over eight high-level MMA fighters from Invicta FC, including the Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza. In addition to the fighters from Invicta FC, the UFC brought in another eight world-class competitors from other organizations. With history just waiting to be made, let’s take a look at some of the fighters you may want to pay a little extra attention to once TUF season 20 is underway.

Right out of the gate you have to pay a bit of extra attention to Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza. As I mentioned before, Esparza was the Invicta FC Strawweight Champion when the UFC made the move to cast TUF 20. Esparza vacated her title to take part in the series and it should come as no surprise that she is one of the favorites to win the competition. Esparza brings with her a solid resume, sporting a professional record of 9-2. Esparza already holds wins over two of her TUF 20 competitors, Felice “Lil Bulldog” Herrig and “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings. Esparza spent some time with Bellator MMA in the past, which will give her the advantage of having fought for a larger fight promotion. Additionally, Esparza has what is likely the most well developed wrestling game in the house. “Cookie Monster” will likely look to dominate the competition with her powerful top game and strong Jiu-Jitsu skills.

If keeping your eye on the former champ is too obvious for you, you can always keep an eye on “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings. As I mentioned already, Rawlings did suffer a loss to former champion Carla Esparza but that doesn’t mean you should count her out. Rawlings is known for being a little wild in the cage, but it’s her wild style that more often than not sees her put a beating on her opponent. Rawlings reputation as an aggressive striker matches her personality outside of the cage perfectly. She is easy to spot sporting short bleach blonde hair with half her head shaved. She’s a great follow on twitter and once the show starts, be sure to see what she has to say; she is always outspoken and honest. With the loss to Esparza likely weighing on her, I see Rawlings as a fighter to watch since she is certainly going to be more than ready to wipe that loss off her record and reach the finals in The Ultimate Fighter tournament.

TUF 20 features fighters from all over the world. The show has fighters from Australia, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the United States, and one of the American contestants comes from right here in the Pacific Northwest. Lisa Ellis, a Washington native, fights out of Olympia and trains at the United Training Center. Ellis is a veteran of the sport with over twenty fights to her credit; she has more wins (15) than any other fighter on the show. Ellis’s veteran savvy should serve her well if she is matched up against some of the less experienced fighters on the show. Ellis is a grappler with unorthodox submissions (She has a win via scarf hold arm lock); her creativity on the ground will be a test for anyone in the house. She also brings with her a good bit of international experience having fought a number of times in Japan. The one concern with Ellis is that she has been inactive as of late; she last fought in 2012. If Ellis can shake the cobwebs off of herself, she should be able to make some noise on TUF 20.

This season of The Ultimate Fighter is something I hope fight fans are getting excited for; the cast if full of top-flight talent. There is no shortage of outspoken individuals, and up and comers lurking behind every corner. Lesser-known fighters like Justine Kish (4-0) who trains with the likes of Anderson Silva, Emily Kagan from Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA in Albuquerque, or Rose Namajunas from The Grudge Training Center in Colorado could easily score an upset win and find themselves right in the thick of it. This season also features many fighters who have at one time or another already fought each other outside of the competition. In past seasons, when this has happened, it created exciting natural rivalries. Personally, I can’t wait for September 10^th to come around; sixteen fighters are going to face off not only for the title of The Ultimate Fighter but also for a chance at being a part of history. Someone is going to walk away a champion. I can’t wait to see whom it is!