Since its inception in 2005, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) has become the proving grounds for some of the best prospects in all of mixed martial arts. For 20 years, the premier combat sports competition has not only become an iconic television series, but also has produced some of the greatest fighters of all-time. From the first season’s all-time classic finale between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar, to Brad Katona’s historical second tournament win, The Ultimate Fighter has been responsible for developing a bevy of UFC legends.
Now, here are the top 10 most successful contestants who have competed on The Ultimate Fighter.
TUF Top 10: No. 10: Brad Katona
In 2017, the UFC put on one of the more interesting seasons in program history when they brought together 16 of the top undefeated featherweight and lightweight professional competitors not already signed to the UFC. From all over the world, these fighters put their coveted zeroes on the line for a chance to cement their places in the promotion.
Amongst the 145-lb names was Canada’s own Brad Katona, who was 6-0 at the time of the show with three stoppage victories. Although he didn’t appear to be the most intimidating contestant walking into the TUF house that season, “Superman” proved himself by winning his first two contests of the tournament. Defeating future UFC contenders in Kyler Phillips and Bryce Mitchell, Katona eventually scored his company contract by soundly besting Jay Cucciniello in the finale.
However, while his run on the show was largely dominant, his first stint in the UFC played out as anything but, going 1-2 before being ultimately released in 2019. His defeats included Hunter Azure and current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Following a stellar run on the regional scene, including winning and defending the BRAVE CF 135-lb strap, Katona was once more casted to fight on another season of TUF in 2023. Demonstrating his improved skill set, the Canadian swept the bracket with victories over Carlos Vera and a very game Timur Valiev to advance to the finals at 292. There, he met and defeated fellow bantamweight veteran Cody Gibson, overwhelming him with volume to become the first TUF contestant to win the show two times.
TUF Top 10: No. 9: Rose Namajunas
Since the early 2000’s, the Midwest region has been responsible for crafting a handful of elite martial artists such as early UFC champions like Sean Sherk, Dave Manne and Brock Lesnar. Participating on the first all-women’s season of the series in 2014, Rose Namajunas was seemingly destined to travel down the same path as these past titans of the sport.
Storming her way through the competition with three submission wins, Namajunas found herself nearly at the top of the world when she faced Carla Esparza in the finale, for the victor of said contest would be crowned the first UFC strawweight queen. Sadly, the Wisconsinite felt the belt slip between her fingers after being submitted herself by the former collegiate wrestler.
The defeat proved to be a small bump in the road for “Thug,” as Namajunas embarked on a stellar rise up the 115-lb ladder, going 4-1 her next five scraps; her only setback was a split decision loss to the then undefeated Karolina Kowalkiewicz. This set the table for her eventual championship contest with Polish powerhouse Joanna Jędrzejczyk in 2017, whom Namajunas starched in the very first round.
Trouncing Jędrzejczyk in the runback, Namajunas had successfully defended her title and cemented her status as a pound-for-pound great. Then, in shocking fashion, she wound up losing her place on the throne following a horrific slam from Jéssica Andrade that put her out completely, forfeiting her strap to the Brazilian.
In 2021, Namajunas managed to retake her queendom by conquering another incredible champion in the form of Zhang Weili, and even defended it once from the previous incumbent in a rematch. After dropping her place at the top again to Esparza in 2022, she opted to move up to her current division at flyweight, where she is currently 2-2 in her past four fights.
TUF Top 10: No. 8: Matt Serra
When it comes to redemption stories, Matt Serra may be able to claim to have the most spectacular one of all. In the wake of a middling UFC run, the New York native received the invitation to compete on a special version of TUF, with the winner of each weight category on the show being awarded an immediate title shot at their division’s champion in the promotion.
Securing three wins in a row, Serra prevailed in the welterweight portion of the bracket to earn a once-in-a-lifetime showdown with the quickly becoming legendary Georges St-Pierre at UFC 69. Although a massive underdog in comparison to the soaring Canadian, “The Terror” pulled off one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history by bludgeoning St-Pierre with a flurry of punches to emphatically seize the 170-lb championship.
Unfortunately, Serra’s reign was doomed to be a short one, as St-Pierre swiftly finished him in the second round of their rematch, pummeling him with a barrage of knees to the side of his body to nab the knockout victory. Over the course of his final two years in the UFC after the defeat, Serra would never materialize another championship contest, retiring from competition in 2010. While he did hang up his gloves, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert transitioned into a coaching role at his gym in New York, training multiple generations of championship-caliber fighters like Chris Weidman, Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili.
TUF Top 10: No. 7: Tony Ferguson
With his entertaining and ferocious style of striking and slick ground game, Tony Ferguson is easily one of the most fan-pleasing names to ever come out of the TUF house. Scoring three back-to-back knockouts on the show, the California native easily gained entrance into the finale, beating Ramsey Nijiem in the first round.
Garnering two subsequent triumphs over Aaron Riley and the venerable Yves Edwards, Ferguson was defeated for the first time in the promotion by the hard-hitting Michael Johnson, falling to the lightweight slugger by unanimous decision. This loss sparked one of the most historical win streaks in the weight class, with “El Cucuy” netting 12 consecutive victories, gaining the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship in the process.
While many will remember this length of utter domination, the twilight years of his career in the organization have undeniably left a noticeable blemish on his legacy in the UFC. Following a hard-to-watch fifth round stoppage setback to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249, Ferguson was never able to get back into the win column, losing another seven matches in a row before jumping ship from the promotion this year.
TUF Top 10: No. 6: Julianna Pena
In 2013, the UFC took a different spin on the formula for the series’ 18th season, women would be brought on to fight for the very first time. With a star-studded cast of incredible female mixed martial artists, which included pioneers of women’s MMA like Shayna Baszler and Roxanne Modafferi, the season produced a number of promotional contenders from both genders that still compete in the UFC today.
One of these contestants was Julianna Peña, who won the tournament with an undeniable onslaught, defeating Shayna Baszler, Sarah Moras and previous WBC champion Jessica Rakoczy. Over the next eight years, Peña steadily climbed the women’s bantamweight rankings, only dropping two decision losses to Germaine de Randamie and Valentina Shevchenko. The greatest capstone of her career, however, came when she managed to dethrone the once thought invincible Amanda Nunes at UFC 269, finishing the dominant Brazilian in the second round.
While she did lose her belt in an immediate rematch with “The Lioness,” Peña was able to secure her championship once again by claiming the vacant strap after Nunes retired, toppling fellow TUF alumni Raquel Pennington last year at UFC 307. She is currently slated to combat former PFL figurehead Kayla Harrison at UFC 316.
TUF Top 10: No. 5: Robert Whittaker
Appearing on the second ever international iteration of the show, The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, Robert Whittaker logged easily one of the fastest runs towards the finale, finishing both his quarter and semi final opponents in less than a minute and a half. Beating Brad Scott in the last match of the competition, he then won his first bout in the UFC over fellow TUF champion Colton Smith, everything seemed on the up and up for the budding welterweight.
However, two back-to-back defeats to Court McGee and Stephen Thompson, along with a debilitating weight cut, convinced Whittaker to make the switch to middleweight following one last win in the 170-lb class against Mike Rhodes. The decision proved to be a fateful one, as “The Reaper” ended up storming his way through the category, laying waste to some of the best 185-lb fighters in the world at the time in Brad Tavares, Uriah Hall, Derek Brunson and Ronaldo Souza.
This streak of victories propelled Whittaker into title contention, contending for the interim middleweight title opposite the physically-imposing Yoel Romero at UFC 213, where he overcame the Cuban by unanimous decision. Later on, he was ultimately promoted to undisputed champion after then incumbent Georges St-Pierre retired. Whittaker then fought Romero in another all-time classic in a rematch, conquering “Soldier of God” by split decision in what should have been his first title defense; Romero missed weight.
Now firmly on top of the division, Whittaker looked to be gearing up for an extensive reign as champion. Alas, he soon came out on the losing end of a second round knockout setback versus the surging Israel Adesanya at UFC 243. Scoring three victories in a row, he eventually found his way back to the Nigerian native in a highly-anticipated runback, which he unfortunately lost by unanimous decision at UFC 271. Still a member of the UFC roster today, Whittaker is still regarded amongst the top middleweight competitors on the planet.
TUF Top 10: No. 4: Rashad Evans
In a weight category such as light heavyweight in the early 2000’s, Rashad Evans proved to be an exceptional name, despite sharing the division with other notable athletes such as Forrest Griffin, Quinton Jackson and Chuck Liddell. In 2005, the New York representative competed on the second ever season of TUF as a heavyweight, clearing his way through the house en route to besting Brad Imes in the final match.
Upon securing the trophy, Evans announced that he was going to drop down to his natural division at 205-lb. Settling into his new home at light heavyweight, “Suga” proceeded to rampage his way up the rankings, picking up wins over notable competition like Sean Salmon, Michael Bisping, and the aforementioned Liddell. This granted Evans a chance to fight for the belt against reigning champion Griffin, knocking out the future Hall of Famer at UFC 92.
Unfortunately, Evans’s time as the best light heavyweight was cut woefully short after a second round stoppage loss to the streaking Lyoto Machida, which also became the first defeat of his professional career. Putting together a subsequent four-bout win streak, he managed to work his way back into championship contention in a grudge match with former teammate Jon Jones at UFC 145. Unable to compete with his younger foe’s diverse set of striking skills and extensive reach, Evans ultimately fell short once more with the strap in reach by unanimous decision.
From here, Evans encountered a rough patch during the rest of his stint in the UFC, going 2-6 in his next eight contests. This included a brief drop down to middleweight, where suffered two setbacks to Daniel Kelley and Sam Alvey. After falling to Anthony Smith in 2018 by strikes, Evans announced his retirement from mixed martial arts, returning briefly in 2022 for a one off fight in Eagle FC.
TUF Top 10: No. 3: Forrest Griffin
In 2005, the UFC was seemingly on the verge of collapse, with recent events garnering minimal ticket sales. Putting all their eggs into one last basket, the promotion’s top brass attempted to boost audience awareness with a soon-to-be ground-breaking television show, The Ultimate Fighter. With a collection of some of the hottest prospects in the sport at the time duking it out under one roof, the live finale had to deliver for both the show to be successful and for the UFC to remain in business.
From the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin left everything in the cage that fateful night, bloodying each other to the delight of over three million viewers on Spike TV. When it was all said and done, it was Griffin who got his hand raised, winning both the contest and the TUF championship.
Not content with saving the company and logging an all-time classic slugfest, the Georgia native embarked on one of the most unlikeliest of rises in the 205-lb class, earning a shot at the throne with a monumental upset over a debuting Maurício Rua. He then completed his Cinderella story by besting the intimidating Quinton Jackson by unanimous decision to become the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
Retiring from competition after a subsequent 3-3 company record, Griffin was formally inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013 alongside Bonnar.
TUF Top 10: No. 2: Michael Bisping
From working in slaughterhouses to reaching the pinnacle of combat sports, Michael Bisping’s ascension to the top of the UFC is truly one of the most inspiring journeys in mixed martial arts.
Capturing three different light heavyweight titles on the regional circuit, Bisping was selected to be a part of the third iteration of TUF. Breezing past his first two opponents with a pair of first round finishes, “The Count” easily won the finale matchup with a second round knockout victory over Josh Haynes.
Going 2-1 in the division, the Cyprus-born fighter made the decision to move down permanently to middleweight. In the following eight years, Bisping encountered his fair share of ups and downs, netting stellar wins over the likes of Chris Leben, Jason Miller and Brian Stann. However, crucial losses to Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, and Luke Rockhold kept the European far from the championship picture. It was his setback to Belfort that damaged his career the most, because after being nailed by the Brazilian with a damaging spinning kick, Bisping wound up losing most of his sight in his right eye.
Despite being almost blind in his eye, though, the Englishman scraped together a phenomenal three-fight win streak, taking out C.B. Dollaway, Thales Leites and Anderson Silva to earn a main event contest against Rockhold in a rematch for the 185-lb belt. While a sizable underdog, Bisping was able to shock the world by starching Rockhold in round one with a thudding hook that rocked the incumbent, finishing him off with ground-and-pound to become UFC champion.
Defending his strap in a Fight of the Night confrontation with Henderson for a second time, Bisping locked horns with mixed martial arts royalty Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217, with the Canadian making his return to fighting after four years away. Although he badly hurt his challenger, including cutting up “Rush” badly on the forehead, St-Pierre managed to come out on top with a third round submission to push Bisping from his throne. After a three week turnaround saw him lose once more by stoppage to Kelvin Gastelum, Bisping opted to hang up his gloves, transitioning to a full-time commentary role in the UFC.
TUF Top 10: No. 1: Kamaru Usman
Across its nearly 30-year history, the UFC welterweight category has been responsible for creating some of the most dominant fighters of all time. And from 2019 to 2022, Kamaru Usman reigned as a nigh unstoppable force in the division.
Cast into the 21st season of TUF, the Nigerian native found himself caught up in a battle between two of the top gyms in the world, with prospective fighters from both American Top Team and the Blackzilians battling for supremacy, alongside contending for the coveted Ultimate Fighter trophy. Cementing his spot in the finale, Usman handedly submitted Hayder Hassan to score a UFC contract.
Undertaking a quiet but incredible climb toward contendership, “The Nigerian Nightmare” recorded an extraordinary nine-bout win streak, overcoming stern opposition such as Leon Edwards, Sean Strickland, Demian Maia and Rafael dos Anjos. Unable to be denied anymore, Usman got the opportunity to fight for company gold for the first time at UFC 235, thoroughly dismantling Tyron Woodley for 25 minutes to earn the 170-lb championship.
Not resting on his laurels after acquiring the strap, Usman elevated himself to the pound-for-pound best competitor in the world, defending his place as the welterweight king five consecutive times. His resume during this period of domination includes wins over Gilbert Burns, Jorge Masvidal (twice) and Colby Covington (twice).
In stunning fashion, however, after being less than a minute from retaining for a sixth time in a rematch with Edwards, Usman was knocked unconscious after the Englishman connected with a monstrous head kick late into the fifth round. The defeat sent immediate tidal waves through the combat sports world, as this was the first time Usman had lost in almost ten years.
At the time of this writing, Usman is slated to combat streaking contender Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN 69. With two back-to-back losses to Edwards in a trilogy bout and Khamzat Chimaev in late 2023, the previous welterweight gold standard is seeking to enter the winner’s circle after almost four years.
