The BEST seasons of The Ultimate Fighter

#1 - Season 18

First Aired 9/5/2013

Women will compete on The Ultimate Fighter for the first time, as eight female and male bantamweights battle for 2 six-figure UFC contracts. UFC Champion Ronda Rousey coaches against rival, Miesha Tate, in one of the most bitter coaching match ups ever.

#2 - Season 28

First Aired 8/30/2018

#3 - Season 24

First Aired 9/1/2016

Sixteen flyweight champions from around the world come to Las Vegas to compete for the ultimate prize: a title shot at current UFC champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. They'll train under top UFC flyweight contenders Henry Cejudo and Joseph Benavidez. The winner earns a UFC contract, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and will fight Demetrious on the live finale.

#4 - Season 27

First Aired 4/19/2018

On this season of The Ultimate Fighter, every competitor is undefeated. Eight featherweights and eight lightweights from around the world will enter the competition, but who will remain unbeaten and win the UFC contracts? UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic take the helm as coaches.

#5 - Season 21

First Aired 4/23/2015

In the twenty-first season of The Ultimate Fighter, two gyms battle it out in the octagon to settle the score in their bitter rivalry and decide, once and for all, which team reigns in South Florida.

#6 - Season 20

First Aired 9/11/2014

For the first time ever, The Ultimate Fighter competition will determine a champion. In a groundbreaking new season, 16 of the top 115-pound female fighters in the world will be hand-picked to form a new women's strawweight division in the UFC. The fighters will live together in the house, train under coaches Gilbert Melendez and current lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, and battle it out in a tournament-style bracket. In the end only one woman will be crowned champion, and earn the first-ever UFC strawweight belt.

#7 - Season 23

First Aired 4/21/2016

For the first time ever light heavyweight men and strawweight women will compete on The Ultimate Fighter. But first they must face off in 16 elimination fights to get into the house. The coaches, UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and #1 contender Claudia Gadelha, watch the fights alongside UFC President Dana White. The two coaches pick their teams from the winners, and the first preliminary matchup is announced.

#8 - Season 1

First Aired 1/18/2005

The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters were invited to participate in the show where they would reside together and train in two separate teams coached by UFC Light Heavyweight fighters Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture. The teams would compete in physical challenges, segments hosted by singer Willa Ford, to determine which team would have the right to pair one of their own 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. It was the first ever live UFC 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. A 5-disc DVD set of "The Ultimate Fighter" was released on November 1, 2005.

#9 - Season 12

First Aired 9/16/2010

In the contest to find the next Ultimate Fighter, UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre leads his team of fighters into battle against Josh Koscheck and his squad of mixed martial artists. Only one man from one team can emerge victorious.

#10 - Season 22

First Aired 9/10/2015

Conor McGregor, one of the most charismatic fighters in a generation, will be a coach on the new season of the seminal mixed martial arts competition show “The Ultimate Fighter”. McGregor is at the forefront of a new wave of talented European fighters determined to make their mark in the UFC. For the first time a team of Europeans, led by McGregor, will get a shot at becoming the Ultimate Fighter. Standing in their way are the American lightweights led by WEC and UFC legend Uriah Faber. What ensues is a truly global battle between the best up and coming lightweights in the world for a six figure contract with the UFC.

#11 - Season 30

First Aired 5/4/2022

The Ultimate Fighter: Peña vs Nunes showcases a dynamic cast of 16 ascending athletes in the men’s heavyweight (265 lbs.) and women’s flyweight (125 lbs.) divisions. Coached by UFC Bantamweight champion, and winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 18, Peña and UFC Featherweight champion Nunes, these UFC hopefuls have put everything else in their lives aside for the chance to pursue their dreams.

#12 - Season 5

First Aired 4/6/2007

The Ultimate Fighter 5 was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. As with the show's usual format, sixteen prospective mixed martial arts fighters were secluded in a house near Las Vegas, Nevada and trained together while participating in a single-elimination tournament, with the winner being awarded a six-figure UFC contract. This season featured only one weight class, lightweights and the fighters were divided into two teams; one coached by former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver and the other by former UFC Welterweight Champion and former lightweight champion B.J. Penn. The season was well-known among fans for the large number of fighters kicked off of the show. The two coaches, along with the finalists of the tournament, fought at The Ultimate Finale, a televised MMA fight card that aired live at the completion of the series. The series premiered on April 5, 2007 on Spike TV in the United States and Canada at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and concluded on June 23. Filming began in mid-January 2007.

#13 - Season 10

First Aired 9/17/2009

Literally the biggest season ever! The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights will showcase 16 of the best unsigned heavyweight MMA fighters in the world. Featuring former UFC light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson as coaches. Follow the cast of notable athletes with impressive pedigrees including four former NFL players, UFC veterans, a former IFL heavyweight champ, and a highly-publicized former EliteXC fighter who gained prominence through his non-sanctioned bouts on YouTube.

#14 - Season 16

First Aired 9/15/2012

Thirty-two of the most talented unsigned mixed martial artists in the world fight for 16 coveted spots in the TUF® house to live and train under coaches Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson to become the next Ultimate Fighter.

#15 - Season 17

First Aired 1/23/2013

Coaches Chael Sonnen and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones guide 14 promising middleweights through a brutal competition of skill and determination. At stake is a custom-built Harley Davidson motorcycle, a six-figure UFC contract, and the right to be called "The Ultimate Fighter."

#16 - Season 14

First Aired 9/22/2011

For the first time in the history of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, the ultra-exciting featherweight and bantamweight divisions will take center stage as 32 prospects, led by coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller, fight it out for a UFC contract.

#17 - Season 7

First Aired 4/3/2008

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest was the seventh season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, and premiered on April 2, 2008 on Spike TV, after UFC Fight Night 13. Unlike several other seasons which focused on two weight classes, season 7 featured only Middleweight fighters. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson starred as a coach, opposite light heavyweight #1 contender Forrest Griffin, who coached the opposing team. The two fighters fought for the UFC light heavyweight title after the completion of the series at UFC 86 at which time Griffin won becoming the new Light Heavyweight Champion. In a change from previous seasons, season 7 began with 32 fighters arriving at the UFC training center instead of the usual 16. UFC president Dana White told the fighters that over the previous six seasons, he had become fed up with contestants not training and competing as hard as they could, or complaining about various issues on the show. His solution was for the fighters to earn their way into the house by winning a fight before the show even started. The first two episodes were a compilation of the entry fights.

#18 - Season 11

First Aired 4/1/2010

Legendary UFC rivals and former TUF coaches Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz return to carry on their feud as 28 Middleweights arrive at the new expanded training center and fight their way into the house in a brutal and sometimes bloody elimination tournament. Legendary UFC rivals and former TUF coaches Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz return to carry on their feud as 28 Middleweights arrive at the new expanded training center and fight their way into the house in a brutal and sometimes bloody...

#19 - Season 13

First Aired 3/31/2011

From San Diego, CA to New Orleans, LA, to Dusseldorf, Germany, the 14 fighters have all gathered in Las Vegas with one goal – to become the next “The Ultimate Fighter.” During the ten episode run of the show, under the tutelage of coaches Lesnar and dos Santos, the competitors endure a grueling regimen of jiu-jitsu, judo, Muay Thai, karate, boxing and wrestling. The intense competition among the fighters continues after they leave the gym – at the Ultimate Fighter House. These warriors must live together, knowing that any day they might be forced to fight each other in the famed UFC Octagon.

#20 - Season 3

First Aired 4/7/2006

The Ultimate Fighter 3 was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of Ultimate Fight Night 4. The season featured sixteen fighters with still-feuding former champion Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock as coaches. The finale aired on June 24, 2006 and tied the UFC's all-time record with a 2.0 overall rating. There were several rule changes from the previous Ultimate Fighter seasons. There were to be no team challenges. All fighters would have to win a preliminary match before advancing to the semi-finals—which in practice started the single-elimination tournament at the beginning of the series instead of near the end. The first preliminary match was set by the team who won a coin toss. All subsequent first-round match-ups were set by the team that won the previous match. Each fight was set for two rounds instead of the normal three. If there was a draw after two rounds, the match would go to a final, five-minute tiebreaker round. In such a case, the judges' final decision on the match would be based solely on the third round. Coaches were allowed to bring two other assistant coaches to assist with training, whereas in previous seasons, assistant trainers hired by the UFC worked for both camps.

#21 - Season 2

First Aired 8/23/2005

The Ultimate Fighter 2 was the second season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The season featured a heavyweight and a welterweight division, with 9 fighters initially in each division. The UFC coaches for this season were welterweight and middleweight champions Matt Hughes and Rich Franklin. Season 1 coach and former UFC champion Randy Couture hosted and designed the team challenge segments, which if won would allow the winning team to pair a fighter from their team against another in elimination matches. The finale aired on November 5, 2005, and it set a ratings record for the UFC with a 2.0 overall rating. Although released on DVD in 2005, it has been set for re-release on September 18, 2007. Season 2 is also the only season to date where all fights that took place are considered as professional MMA bouts by Nevada State Athletic Commission.

#22 - Season 4

First Aired 8/18/2006

The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback is the fourth season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on August 17, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of UFC Fight Night 6. The finale was aired on November 11, 2006. This series featured a change from the usual Ultimate Fighter format. Instead of UFC hopefuls, the cast was composed of fighters that had fought in the UFC but had yet to win a UFC title. The winners in the middleweight and welterweight divisions earned a UFC title shot in their division and a $100,000 purse, along with a $100,000 sponsorship deal with Xyience. Instead of coaches, prominent trainers and UFC fighters acted as advisors. Randy Couture, Georges St. Pierre, Marc Laimon, the grappling instructor from seasons 1 and 2, and Mark DellaGrotte, Kenny Florian's kickboxing trainer, were the advisors. The cast still lived in seclusion in the Las Vegas house. The rules were the same as in The Ultimate Fighter 3, where preliminary round matches were two rounds with a sudden victory round in case of a tie, and all fighters had to win a preliminary match before advancing to the semi-final round. The team that had won the last match decided the next match, with a coin toss deciding which team set the first matchup.

#23 - Season 8

First Aired 9/18/2008

The eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter features Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Minotauro Nogeira and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir as coaches to 16 fighters competing for the chance to show they belong in the Octagon.

#24 - Season 6

First Aired 9/20/2007

The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra is the sixth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, and premiered on September 19, 2007 on Spike TV, after UFC Fight Night 11. This season features only welterweight fighters. The teams are coached by former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra and former welterweight champion Matt Hughes. The coaches were to fight for the Welterweight title after the completion of the show, on December 29 at UFC 79:Nemesis from the Mandalay Bay Events Center. however due to an injury sustained by Serra, Hughes faced top contender Georges St. Pierre on the 29th, with St. Pierre defeating Hughes by submission in the second round and going on to challenge Serra for the undisputed welterweight title at a later date. Both coaches are participating in a series of TUF for the second time. Hughes was a coach on series 2 and Serra won the welterweight division on series 4, thus earning the opportunity to face Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69. Unlike in previous seasons, the winner of a match does not determine which team picks the next match. The teams alternate picking matches in the first round, regardless of results, and the team that has the most wins picks the fights for the quarterfinals.

#25 - Season 9

First Aired 4/2/2009

For the first time ever, The Ultimate Fighter will be country vs. country as the United States takes on the United Kingdom. Dana White travels to England to watch 16 of Great Britain's toughest welterweights and lightweights fight their way onto coach Michael Bisping's UK Team.

#26 - Season 15

First Aired 3/10/2012

The Ultimate Fighter: Live was the fifteenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. This season marked the show's debut on the FX network, the debut of Jon Anik as the show's host, and featured Lightweight fighters. As part of the deal with FX, the show was revamped. Prior seasons of the show were filmed in six weeks, edited and aired several months after filming was completed. This season the show was being filmed over thirteen weeks and was being edited "the week of" before being broadcast. In addition this season was the first to feature live fights. The UFC and FX held open tryouts on December 5, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The casting call went out for Lightweight and Welterweight fighters. Some of the fighters that showed up for the tryouts included UFC veteran Jamie Yager, WEC veteran Blas Avena, and Bellator veterans Rudy Bears, Zak Cummings, and Jacob McClintock, and K-1 kickboxer Kultar Gill. On December 6, 2011, it was announced that the coaches for the season would be Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber. They were set to fight for the title, until Cruz's injury on May 7, 2012. The show debuted on March 9, 2012.

#27 - Season 19

First Aired 4/17/2014

16 middleweights and 16 light heavyweights battle it out in a day of elimination fights, hoping for a coveted spot in The Ultimate Fighter house. Once in, coaches and former world champions BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar pick their squads. Only one man from each weight class will walk away with a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a six-figure UFC contract, and the title of The Ultimate Fighter.

#28 - Season 25

First Aired 4/20/2017

In a special 25th season, 14 welterweights from past seasons of The Ultimate Fighter return to Las Vegas for a second chance in the competition. At stake is the biggest prize in the show’s history… $250,000.

#29 - Season 26

First Aired 8/31/2017

The Ultimate Fighter will launch the new UFC women’s flyweight division, as 16 of the most talented 125-pounders in the world come to Las Vegas to compete in a tournament, with the winner being crowned the first UFC women’s flyweight champion.

#30 - Season 32

First Aired 6/5/2024

#31 - Season 29

First Aired 6/2/2021

#32 - Season 31

First Aired 5/31/2023

The 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter® could be the biggest in the show’s history, as former UFC® featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor and No. 5 ranked lightweight contender Michael Chandler go head-to-head as coaches. Following the series, the two coaches will prepare to square off at a date that will be determined in the near future. The Ultimate Fighter Season 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler will feature a dynamic cast consisting of both returning veterans and up and coming prospects in the men’s bantamweight (135 lbs.) and lightweight (155 lbs.) divisions, who have put everything else in their lives aside for the chance to pursue their UFC dreams.