Dana White believes The Ultimate Fighter still works: “I think this show can go on forever”
UFC president Dana White believes that The Ultimate Fighter reality show still works, saying that “I think this show can go on forever.”
TUF 29 premiered this week with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and rival Brian Ortega as the coaches. The show is back on the air for the first time since 2018, with the UFC taking a hiatus from filming new seasons during its last two years with ESPN. Some fans were surprised to see the show brought back considering Dana White’s Contender Series seems to have replaced it, but as far as White himself is concerned, there will always be a place for The Ultimate Fighter in the UFC schedule.
Speaking to TUF 1 contestant Mike Swick, White confirmed that the UFC plans on filming one season of The Ultimate Fighter per year, and the UFC president doesn’t see the show going away anytime soon.
“Yeah, I think we’re doing one a year. We’re just gonna keep rolling, man. I don’t ever see a time where this show doesn’t make sense. I think this show can go on forever,” White said.
As far as White is concerned, TUF still makes sense, even with Contender Series, Looking for a Fight, and all the other shows that the UFC films. There is enough talent in the sport out there that White believes the show is still worth doing to find the next upcoming superstars in MMA, even though some fans believe that the format has gotten stale. As far as White is concerned, TUF is here to stay, though he joked that the show could eventually be done for good when White himself is done as UFC president.
“It will probably end with me. When I’m done-done, the show will probably be done,” White quipped.
Do you still enjoy watching The Ultimate Fighter or do you think Dana White would be better off scrapping it?
