Season Premier of the Ultimate Fighter 5 (TUF5 ) Reality Show Series on Spike TV

Season 5 of TUF was showcased on Spike TV on April 04,2007. What do we have to look forward to on season 5 of this reality series? It appears 2 coaches who dislike each other and a diverse group of lightweight fighters from baby faces to blubbering overweight fighters

The Lowdown on this Showdown

This year's UFC coaches are Lightweights B.J. Penn and Jens Pulver. They fought once in 2001 at UFC 35: Showdown with Jen getting the decision and retaining the title. They are scheduled to fight on the live season finale on Spike TV. They are characterized on the show as enemies with bad blood still between them.

The 16 competitors are all lightweights weighing in at or less than 155lbs except one weighing in at 175lbs. In fact he gains 2 lbs by the second day. (More on this fiasco later in the story)

The show begins.

The show starts off by the coaches being introduced and the history between the two. Each coach takes a turn reviewing the guys training and Penn is already accusing Pulver of exhausting the guys before he got a look. Pulver just doesn't come across as being that smart to have that strategy figured out.

Coaches pick their teams: Dana White is pissed

Next they setup for the ritual schoolyard type team picks. But Penn has other ideas by asking the guys to put up their hand if they want to be on his team as opposed to Pulver's team. About 10 guys put up there hand so Pulver goes along with it and wants to split the teams along these lines. Dana White the owner of UFC then counters with multiple expletives as he has hard time controlling Penn and Pulver from taking over the show and taking the excitement out of the team pecking orders. How can he Dana get the usual storyline of fighters hating the coach that didn't pick them if the contestants choose the coach? This was definitely the highlight of the show as Pulver and Penn were making a mockery of his rules.

We now get the guys commenting on their coach and coaches commenting on their fighters. Pulver wants guys with heart while B.J. Penn only wants guy who want to be with him.

How can someone be 22lbs overweight for the show?

Then we go to Team Penn member Gabe Ruedigger who weighs in at 175 lbs at the beginning of the show and now weighs 177 lbs. Interesting storyline but where do they get these guys. Don't they have a scale at home and realize this is their chance in the big leagues. He is shown blubbering every few minutes. The best line of the show comes from teammate Emerson who states Losing Weight is a girl problem

Pulver picks the First Fight of the Season

Corey Hill a 6 foot 4 inch light heavyweight appears to be one the camera tends to concentrate on as well as Nick Diaz's brother.

At they discuss their first fight they touch on picking an opposition fighter most out of shape. (22 lbs overweight anyone).

The shows Fight Announcement is next with Pulver picking his guy Cole Miller who calls out Allen Berube from Team Penn.

The Fighters

Cole Miller is the baby face with confidence. He has been training for 3 years and didn't expect to be in UFC for at least 10 yrs. Miller is apparently highly rated according to Penn. Penn has a hard time showing any confidence in his guy Allen Berube. Berube has some nickname for himself like the Crustacean Sensation. Apparently he is 2-1 and the only reason he got into MMA is to advertise his business and now finds himself in Vegas

The Fight

Not much for the first minute, a bit of circling and dancing, and then finally a few kicks by Miller. Finally the fight goes down to the ground and Miller gets a Guillotine choke to start off. A few more moves with Miller on his back then he puts a Triangle Choke Submission on Berube and a tapout quickly follows. Penn admitted Berube gave 100% and that was his best. In other words Berube didn't deserve to be there.

The Overall Show: My Opinion

Overall not a bad show but I'm not enthralled with the coaches. BJ Penn comes across as being above Pulver and maybe a little cocky. Pulver well just comes across, as well, Pulver It doesn't help he has his hat cocked at a funny angle every time they interview him. Hopefully a few characters and a few stars have a breakout season. Looks like Miller has the ground skill. Hopefully we have some better competitors then this first episode has introduced us to.

Watch for it Next Week

Penn's team loses their cool. Shirts Come off. Scribbling on the walls and Manny loses it