The Ultimate Fighter Final Four

This season of The Ultimate Fighter has been one of the best ever. Between the coaches, the competitors, the brutal knockouts, and the shocking upsets, MMA fans have little to complain about this year. The semifinals of TUF air tonight at 9:00 pm ET, followed by the live, 3 hour season finale on Saturday at 9:00 pm ET. The final four fighters have been selected and the matchups have been set. If you've been watching from the very beginning, you already know what you're in for. If you haven't, here are the top five reasons why you should start watching tonight.


5. Top Level Coaching

The coaching this year has been absolutely top notch. I'll admit, I was skeptical when the names were first announced. There is no questioning Jones' and Sonnen's talent as fighters, but coaching other fighters is a whole different animal. Sonnen is a world class shit-talker, who surprised everyone with how caring and sensitive he was towards his team of fighters. Jones is a freak athlete, but at the age of 25, who knew he would have the maturity and leadership to be an MMA coach? Not to mention the fact that many of the fighters on Team Jones are older than him. 

(Chael Sonnen's Speech About Failure)

4. Likable Underdogs

In the history of underdogs, these are two of the very best. If you like rooting for the nice guy, these fighters are for you. Dylan and Kelvin, the last and second to last overall picks respectively, are two of the most unexpected champions out of the bunch. Nevertheless, they have ignored the critics and battled their way to the Final Four. Can one of these guys go all the way and bring home the title? They each face their toughest challenge tonight.

(Dylan Andrews - Ultimate Underdog)

3. Hateable Josh Samman

Okay so his hair isn't quite as douchey as it was in those pictures, but Josh is just as hateable, I assure you. Every good competition needs a good guy and a bad guy. While The Ultimate Fighter had other candidates for the 'Most Hated' award, Josh has taken the cake. Josh continues to refer to himself as the most talented fighter in the pool, providing fans with the quintessential cockiness that everyone loves to hate. Add his signature mounted-double-punch attack to the mix, and you have one of the most annoying, self-centered jerks in TUF history. Assuming there are no upsets tonight, we'll get to see Uriah take on Josh in an Ultimate Fighter Finale for the ages.

(Double Punch Finish vs. Chris Cope)

2. Sonnen vs. Jones

If you're like me, the reason you were excited about this season in the first place was due to the upcoming matchup between the two coaches. Although it won't have the same hype as the Sonnen vs. Silva bouts due to a significant lack of hatred between the two parties, this should still be a heck of a fight. Jon 'Bones' Jones has never been taken down. Take a second to let that sink in. Over the course of his entire career, while admittedly short, he has never been taken down. Chael Sonnen is arguably the best wrestler in the entire world. A man who took down Anderson Silva seemingly at will, should have no problem doing the same to Jones. This should be an exciting one, to say the least. After the season finale of TUF on Saturday, we are just two weeks away from UFC 159, where the two coaches will square off for the Light Heavyweight Championship. This is a great time to be a UFC fan.

(UFC 159 Extended Preview)

1. Uriah Hall

Uriah Hall is the MMA version of the Incredible Hulk. The first and most obvious comparison is his sheer power. This guy is downright scary in the octagon. I believe that UFC President Dana White said it best; "The way this guy knocks people out... You don't even want to clap; you feel bad clapping. It's viscous, it's quick, it's nasty. This guy is the nastiest guy in Ultimate Fighter history." The person who feels the worst after these brutal knockouts, however, is the man behind the devastation. Further enforcing the Hulk metaphor, Uriah seems to come back to his senses after his fights are over and immediately fill with regret. His "What have I done?" attitude makes him as lovable as he is terrifying. Uriah is the best fighter in the competition and the most deserving of a UFC contract. Can somebody pull off the ultimate upset and knock him out of the competition prematurely? We'll have to watch to find out. 

(Uriah Hall vs. Adam Cella knockout)