The Ultimate Fighter on Spike is a wonderful creation. It is what brought the UFC into the spotlight. The concept of bringing emotionally charged athletes fighting for a future with the organization is very intriguing indeed. Intriguing for a few seasons that is.

TUF needs a rejuvenation, it needs a new life. I'm not talking about adding a wild card match into the season, or some inexpensive gimmick. No, I'm talking about bringing a whole new concept to the table.

Bellator, on the other hand, is a seemlingly fresh concept and promotion. Coming from shown on a spanish speaking channel only, to being a youtube hit, to being on national television is an amazing feat. The thing they do better than other mid level promotion(s) like Strikeforce is build new stars. I'd never heard of Toby Imada before seeing his inverted triangle on Jorge Masvidal the previous season. He proved it no fluke as some would say he is this season's champ (though, the judges disagree). Which brings us to Pat Curran. The point is they have brought in a couple big names to bolster their roster, but also showcased quality talent that may not have been discovered for years.

Bellator's format is similar to TUF's, and in some ways similar to the original UFC 1's. A tournament, each fighter is paid a set amount to fight plus a win bonus and it's live. Live, that is one of the key differences from The Ultimate Fighter. I usually skip the actual episodes and just read the synopsis the next day. There's a mystery about live events, it's not canned, it hasn't already happened, you can't predict the future.

I believe TUF could benefit from stealing this structure. Pulling a Microsoft, if you will. TUF is stale, and few people enjoy a bunch of rowdy guys getting drunk and the next day gassing out midway through the 2nd round. Originally it was great to meet these new fighters, now it seems to be the same season over and over. People want to see great fights. Great fights come from guys with 8 week focused training camps.

Please, UFC, make TUF more than a long commercial for your next blockbuster fight. There's just so much more potential now that you have a huge captive audience.