Dana White said Stephan Bonnar (left) was almost booted from the first season of TUF for looking for a liquor store. (Photo: Esther Lin / MMAFighting.com)
During his UFC 143 post-event "scrum" with various media members, UFC President Dana White gave some information about The Ultimate Fighter's debut in Brazil, the next country in which he expects TUF to debut and a decision he almost made that would have changed the course of UFC history forever.
On TUF Brazil
White is in Brazil this week to start filming the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil with Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort as coaches. Filming began in Rio Monday with two days in Sao Paulo to follow.
The shows will be aired on UFC.com and another outlet, so fans will get the opportunity to see them. They will be shot in the "old format" of filming an entire season and then re-airing them like Spike did throughout their 14 seasons of TUF.
On Future International TUFs
White said that several international TUFs are in the works and he expects India to be the next up. He still has a dream of doing a TUF World Cup and said between 4-to-6 winners would be needed to pull it off.
The Near Exile Of Stephan Bonnar
White told a story about how Bonnar was almost kicked off the first season of TUF after getting antsy during the longest filming schedule in show history:
"Bonnar turned the shower on, climbed out the window and went to find a liquor store. Remember we took all the liquor out after that big fight? These idiots...we had been driving these guys around for six or seven weeks and the house is in the middle of nowhere. There was no liquor store near there. The guy was walking around for an hour and thirty minutes. So much crazy (expletive) happened that first season. Imagine if I had kicked off him off the show for going to a liquor store? Forrest (Griffin) and Stephan would have never happened."
0 recs | 19 comments
Bonnar vs Griffin is teh best fight eva!!!11
RandyCouture'sDivorceLawyer - February 7, 2012 via mobile
Bonnar knew he had a problem about 80 minutes into his walk and it didn’t involve his lack of ability to actually find the store itself.
DirtyML - February 7, 2012
A TUF world cup !
That would be so awesome, can’t wait till countries like India start producing prospects. With that population base you have to think once the proper facilities and trainers are established some great guys should come out of there.
1N87 - February 7, 2012
It is going to take a long time to develop prospects
First you have to develop the sport, then you have to convince anyone good to train in America.
discoandherpes - February 7, 2012
That story about Bonnar is hilarious. I never watched TUF 1, but Bonnar must have matured alot since then. haha walking around the desert trying to find a liquor store, i would actually love to hear Bonnar describe that experience, I am sure it’s a pretty funny story
Robert V-U - February 7, 2012
it is a funny ass story lol
but coming to think of it, didn’t jeremy jackson got kicked off because he left the house?
was it because he left the house? or because he fucked a lifeguard?
DK_Monster - February 7, 2012
Knowing Jeremy Jackson as we do now begs the question, did the lifeguard even want to be fucked by Jeremy Jackson.
Steve W - February 7, 2012 via mobile
What was a lifeguard doing in the desert?
Robert V-U - February 7, 2012
I know India has decent wrestlers..
But i can’t think of any high level mma fighters..in fact I can’t think of an indian mma fighter. Help?
Deim0sRising - February 7, 2012 via mobile
Best I can think of is Singh Jaideep from K1.
He’s pretty much just a kickboxer, though.
Steve W - February 7, 2012 via mobile
hearing india is next is def suprising
i wasn’t aware the ufc had locked in tv contracts, identified local fighters, etc. the market surely has potential, but i would think is behind markets more viable in the near term.
wamarsh - February 7, 2012
Agreed
I was in India for the Lesnar-Overeem fight. They dont have a tv contract, even though India has several major sports stations (including ESPN India), so obviously there was zero coverage.
No one I asked knew what UFC was, which surprised me because there are a lot of pro wrestling fans who I thought may have kept up with Lesnar. Anyways, I’d be really surprised to hear if anyone actually trained multiple disciplines there, considering an apparent total lack of knowledge of UFC.
chanmanov09 - February 7, 2012 via mobile
India has a strong wrestling tradition...
but it is not the type to equate well to MMA .
Naztuu - February 7, 2012
What kind of wrestling styles do Indian wrestlers have?
discoandherpes - February 7, 2012
There are different styles of "Folk" wrestling...
some are like Mongolian wrestling…some are just upper body locks..trying to lift your opponent…
Naztuu - February 8, 2012
TUF THAILAND!
would be pretty awesome
Abraham Beas-Carbajal - February 7, 2012
Agreed
Assuming they can get prospects that can compete in the UFC.
discoandherpes - February 7, 2012
tuf india
Very little is known as far as mma is concerned, however wrestling, boxing and kickboxing is common in the punjab regions of india and pakistan. I was there last january and actually visited an event hosted by a well known trainer from thailand. Very raw techniques were displayed but mma is still in its infancy in that part of the world. TUF india would definetely kick off mma in southasia. Kubadi is the only root of wrestling i can think of in india, probably others.
jaydog - February 8, 2012
TUF-Japan
What are the chances that, after the UFC-Japan event, UFC tries to knock out two birds with one stone and do an TUF-Japan with just flyweights, in order to break deeper into the Japanese market and populate the UFC flyweight division? I guess they’ll wait and see how TUF-Brazil does first, right?
Anyway, the thought crossed my mind after looking at the flyweight rankings at fightmatrix, and noticed how many tiny Japanese fighters there are! Have the top 32 fight to get into the house, then have two teams of 8….who would coach? My guess would be Hioki (if he beats Bartimus) vs (UFC would have to sign) Kawajiri? Winner get title shot. Hmmm, meanwhile Aldo would need a fight while waiting for this so ‘superfight’ Aldo against Edgar (wins or lose against Bendo?) and that would give UFC lightweights more time to develop a #1contender by having Nate Diaz fight Jim Miller and winner of Lauzon/Pettis vs Gray Maynard/Clay Guida…if they ever schedule that obvious matchup. Do Volkmann vs Dunham. And build up guys like Sass, Barboza and Nurmagomedov.
Or just do Aldo vs Poirier now while waiting for Hioki/Bartimus. Then Aldo vs winner of Yuri Alcantara vs Korean Zombie while Hioki does TUF-Japan with Kawajiri.
Troop - February 8, 2012
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