The latest version of "The Ultimate Fighter" debuted on Tuesday night. For the first time in many, many seasons, I enjoyed the show. Instead of focusing on the animosity between coaches, it brought out the stories of each of the fighters. It was a welcome change. Here were the biggest moments of the two-hour premiere:
-- The opening montage: From the start, TUF looked different than it had before. The filming style felt more like an "NFL Films" production than previous TUFs. That started with the opening montage, with close-ups of the coaches, Dana White and the fighters talking about why they want to be on the show.
-- Families fighters and friends being allowed in the gym: Seeing Adam Cella's family celebrate after his win set the tone for the rest of the show. On previous TUFs, fighters would talk about their devotion to their amily and friends, but it was hard to connect with them when all we saw were pictures. Now, as the season goes on, we'll know who each man is fighting for much more richly.
-- Zak Cummings' knockout of Nik Fekete: It was so quick that I wasn't sure what happened. The replay showed Fekete didn't protect himself when throwing a kick, and that ended his show at making "The Ultimate Fighter."
-- Sonnen needling Jones over Bubba McDaniel: The "Chael Shtick" didn't come out much on Tuesday night, and that's a good thing. Over the course of the show, it would get old very quickly. But Sonnen's subtle, sarcastic picking at Jones was fun, particularly when it came to Jones' teammate and if Jones would pick him for his team.
-- "I grew up on food stamps, powdered milk and spam." With the families around, there were more tears than usual for the opening show. No episode was more moving than Kito Andrews saying goodbye to his kids, and talking about why it's so important for him to win. Unfortunately, Andrews lost the decision.
-- Uriah Hall's decision over Andy Endz: The two put on such a great fight that Sonnen stood and cheered for it. Afterwards, they shared a quiet moment where Hall thanked Endz, and Endz told Hall to win the show. It was one of the moments that reminded fans that most fighters support each other, even when they haven't met before.
What did you think of the show? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.
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