The Ultimate Fighter is a reality show, which showcases a competition between mixed martial arts fighters. It debuted on January 17, 2005, airing on Spike TV. Till date, twelve seasons have taken place, and season 13 is in queue to air. The mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters live together while undergoing their training to compete against each other. They lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and prepare to win the match in order to get the winning contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The winners get a six-figure contract in UFC, which normally is of three years. There have been three fights per year.

The fight between Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar in season 1 helped the channel to garner a viewership of millions, which also became a reason to get it into the mainstream of entertainment. The fight became an attraction for many, which is why it is regarded as the extension of UFC. Many of the fighters, who have proven their skills and strength in the UFC fights, are the alumni of The Ultimate Fighter. Some of these fighters also end up becoming coaches on the impending seasons. Many of The Ultimate Fighter winners entered the UFC championship and won it.

The Ultimate Fighter series has gone through many changes since its beginning. It was originally introduced as an experiment by Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III, Ultimate Fighting Championship owners. The experiment proved successful and The Ultimate Fighter became one of the most influential fighting shows by gaining record breaking figures for the channel repeatedly.

Season 1 appeared as an experiment but the rest of the seasons didn’t need to gain the attention of viewers because the show was already popular among people. In season 2, viewers got to see welterweight and heavyweight fights. It showcased Rich Franklin and Matt Hughes grilling against each other for victory. Season 3 displayed the interesting and very old enmity between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock.