Written by Derek Moody, September 8, 2016, at 3:29 a.m. Tweet to: @DerekMoody619
The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions is the UFC’s reality tv show in search of the next great fighter. This season is more commonly called TUF 24 because of the number of seasons. Normally the show features fresh prospects and rising talent looking to enter the UFC but this season is far different. It features 16 champions from across the world looking to challenge Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
This is the first ever tournament of champions to determine the actual ultimate fighter. The remaining champion will get to face the best flyweight in the world, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. In addition to the champions, the coaches are former title challengers Joseph Benavidez and Henry Cejudo. They’ll be on opposite sides of the Octagon when all is said and done.
The two coaches have a combined three losses against Johnson but they know him well. Joseph Benavidez has went the distance against him in the past so he may provide the best insight. In his lone opportunity, Henry Cejudo, didn’t fair well at all but it served as a learning experience.
- Tim Elliott (Titan Fighting Championships) – Ranked #3
- Charlie Arnaiz (Hex Fight Series – Australia) – Ranked #14
- Alexandre Pantoja (Resurrection Fighting Alliance) – Ranked #1
- Brandon Moreno (World Fighting Federation) – Ranked #16
- Damacio Page (Legacy Fighting Championship) – Ranked #4
- Adam Antolin (Tachi Palace Fights) – Ranked #13
- Yoni Sherbatov (Xcessive Force Fighting Championship – Canada) – Ranked #2
- Eric Shelton (Caged Aggression MMA)– Ranked #15
- Ronaldo Cândido (Shooto – South America) – Ranked #7
- Jamie Alvarez (Absolute Fighting Championship) – Ranked #10
- Matt Schnell (Legacy Fighting Championship – interim) – Ranked #6
- Matt Rizzo (Ring of Combat)– Ranked #11
- Hiromasa Ogikubo (Shooto – Japan) – Ranked #5
- Nkazimulo Zulu (Extreme Fighting Championship – South Africa) – Ranked #12
- Kai Kara-France (Bragging Rights Fight Series – Australia) – Ranked #9
- Terrence Mitchell (Alaska Fighting Championship) – Ranked #8
Only two of these champions (Damacio Page, Tim Elliott) have experience within the UFC. The first pick of the tournament chosen by Benavidez was Tim Elliott. At UFC 172 Benavidez submitted Elliott by guillotine choke. That was in 2014 before Elliott began his winning streak at Titan FC.
Damacio Page is the only guy in the tournament to have fought against Mighty Mouse. It was in WEC back in 2010 where he was submitted in the third round via guillotine choke. He did far better than Cejudo and better than the 2nd attempt by Benavidez. It is amazing seeing champion vs champion every week until one remains.
The only time we’ve seen anything like this before was during AXS TV RFA vs Legacy Superfight Card. Damacio Page fought Alexandre Pantoja in a title vs title fight. Page was winning the entire fight but was caught in triangle choke in the 2nd round. They’ll have another chance to meet again if they both make it to the semi-finals. In the first three fights we’ve seen three finishes which set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
- Alexandre Pantoja submitted Brandon Moreno by rear-naked choke in the 2nd round.
- Kai Kara-France earned a first round knockout on Terrence Mitchell effectively displaying his punching power.
- Hiromasa Ogikubo submitted Nkazimulo Zulu by rear naked choke in the 2nd round. The fight almost ended in the first round but Zulu found a way to escape at the bell.
These champions are the best of their respective organizations so they intend on making a statement. Expect to see the most finishes in TUF history leading to a title shot but the pay off isn’t easy. Usually the winner gets a six-figure contract but now they get a shot at Mighty Mouse’s belt. The winner won’t celebrate to long because they’ll face Demetrious Johnson the best pound for pound fighter in the world.
