Tito/Ken-TUF Coaches: Good Idea??

Underground
1

I understand the basic idea behind getting Tito and Ken as TUF 3 coaches - Dana and Zuffa want to set up a big PPV for next Oct. I'm not sure it's such a great idea...

--Tito and Ken's history has been somewhat...explosive. This can lead to good TV, but for how long? We've all heard Tito say "I killed Kenny" (and versions thereof) and call Ken his bitch, etc. And we've all heard Ken call Tito a punk and such. While I think the animosity there is real, the bantering back and forth gets to be a little over the top.

--The possiblity for something stupid happening is (IMHO) pretty big. I might be wrong, but Tito seems to have a very big ego, and Ken seems to developed on as well in recent years. Given the above point about Tito/Ken's bantering back and forth, I can just see some sort of altercation taking place. If Dana/Zuffa are looking for another Leben/Koscheck/Southworth sort of situation, then I guess this is one way to go about it.

--They better have Tito locked into a contract BIG TIME. Tito has talked a lot of junk before, yet never signed on the dotted line. Look how long it took him to fight Chuck. Should Tito beat Forrest in highly convincing fashion, will he want a title shot right away to "avenge his loss" against Chuck? He's done (again, IMHO) stranger stuff.

--Let's face it, Ken is getting OLD. I admire his courage, work ethic, "fighting spirit," and all, but c'mon. Ken has had quite a few health/injury problems in the past. Oct. 2006 is almost a year away - that could be a long time for Ken to stay healthy, given that he's training hard over that period.

--Probably the biggest thing that sort of bothers me about this is the fact that TUF 3 won't be about the fighters. The original idea behind TUF was about giving a group of guys the shot of a lifetime - top notch training, top notch facilities, free room & board, no bills - everything they'd need to make they're dream come true. Who can rise up above the rest, make themselves better, and make their dreams come true? Originally (as I remember - correct me if I'm wrong), in TUF 1, the Chuck/Randy fight wasn't even announced until a portion through the airing of the season on TV. I just see this season being more of a 3 month long marketing gimmick for the Tito/Ken PPV, than it will be about finding the next "Ultimate Fighter."

Just my two cents...

2

Good idea?

No.



It's a frickin' BRILLIANT idea.

3

Willybone is correct!

4

The original idea of the TUF show was and is to get the UFC "mainstream"
(whatever that means) and how better than too.

5

"--Probably the biggest thing that sort of bothers me about this is the fact that TUF 3 won't be about the fighters. "

i agree with this point. but if they can deliver the drama AND quality fighters (with quality being the main substance and drama being the icing on the cake), this can be very good.

if they try to make up the lack of talent, or just overshadow good fighters, with all the soap opera, it'll be bad for the sport.

it's got potential to be great, so i'll say it's a great idea so far.

6

Great idea to have Ken on, Hes an awesome character, but I fear this is leading him onto a very bad loss against Tito.

7

I think Tito and Ken will beat the shit out of the guys.

8

I think it was the best possible choice. I just hope they "keep it real" and Ken dulls down the WWF style drama.

9

It does bother me a bit too... sure the drama will be good for tv but still, one thing that let the first season make MMA seem credible and serious was that Chuck and Randy were so profesional and solid during all the drama.

I mean when Leben, Koscheck, Southworth etc fucked around they still looked like young boys fighting and Chuck and Randy was like two fathers or old school teachers who remained mature and lead the "kids" in the right direction .

How will it look if the much younger and less experienced athletes are super serious and humble and the coaches (oficial representatives so to speak) squabble like bitches? How will UFC and MMA look? I look forward to watching it but it could end up a circus IMO...

10

Records will be broken for TUF and modern PPV buys. Is it a good idea? NO. It is a GREAT idea.

11

This is the best thing Zuffa could ever do for TUF. The contestants dont have time to learn alot from the coaches anyway since the show is taped in about 30 days, they pretty much come in with any skill they are going to exit eith from the show. All thats needed from the coaches really is to give the fighters some insight into what it takes to excel and a being a cornerman. They may be able to pass on a few techniques and ideas but essentially the coaches are just motivators.

What makes this pairing great though is obviously the inner conflict between the two. Now between fights we can see Tito and Shammy verybally jab at each other. It will be entertaining.

If the fighters bring it at all, this will be a stellar season, and should eclipse the first two.

12

someone post the video of ken telling him he will beat him into a "living death" then a long pause before Tito bursts into laughter and Ken kicks a chair

13

My only concern is this heading into a WWF sort of way.

They would attract a huge new audience, but loose all credibility with the MMA community that way IMO.

I would hate to see scripted, fake crap in the octogon. (more than the small amount that there already is).

14

the problem I have is that there is nowhere for their bantor to go. they have both said all they could say, so if one guy is not punching the other it looks like a wwf story line gone bad.

15

TUF2 was all about "Matt Hughes is a hardass" and it helped make the season addictive. My wife and I would guess what Matt would do next before every show. I think it added to the show.

16

"My only concern is this heading into a WWF sort of way."

Don't waste your time worrying about this. UFC is sport, and Zuffa has done an amazing job at cementing this. A few things here and there are fine, as it happens in boxing all the time. It is called promoting.

I don't get people's obsession with comparing UFC to WWE. There is no comparison. UFC is a competition based sport and WWE is pure coreography for entertainment purposes.

Ken and Tito will both take the promotional side to higher levels than most will, but the end result is records on Spike and modern records on PPV buys. It is all good.

17

Remember, they can edit the show....it'll be great.

18

great idea,

Shammy my burst a blood vessel from Tito Smak talk and Somehow I don't think Tito will be into Dana's "DO YOU WANT TO BE A FIGHTER" talk.

WWE Drama

19

The decision to bring Tito/Ken back was pure genius, IMHO.  It's not so much about the rematch (Tito will win easily), but the TV show should pull huge ratings.

Gary Hughes

20

TUF 1- Chuck and Randy are both such lukewarm cats out of the ring, that meant no drama.

TUF 2- Perhaps because of Chuck and Randy's "Ehhh. Whatever" coaching personalities, they contrived a good guy (Rich) bad guy (Matt) scenario. While believable to some, it is obviously artificial when you look at the editing closer and hear cast member's post season comments about how they both behaved.

TUF 3- While they have respect for each other, neither will show it much on camera. Tito and Ken's roots of dislike were very real, though softened over time. Each loves the camera more than any other TUF coach. Ken is a hardass competitor. Will make for 60% contrived acting and 40% real drama and should be more interesting, or at least showy, than previous seasons.