TUF is an acronym of The Ultimate Fighter reality TV series on Spike TV. And I use the term “reality” loosely. Saying the reality stops at the names of the fighters and the fighting itself is pretty accurate. Case in point: Kimbo Slice.

Kimbo Slice lost early on in this season by Roy “Big Country” Nelson. So by  rule, he is out of the competition for the Ultimate Fighter title, unless someone else gets injured and he gets put in their spot. Anyone who has watched more than one season of TUF would know that Kimbo Slice being lost in the shuffle and entering a fighting life in obscurity wouldn’t be far from the truth.  TUF was set up to give that one up and coming fighter a chance at a six-figure contract to train and fight in the UFC.  The reality is that if you’re good enough to put butts in the seats and sell pay-per-views, then it doesn’t really matter if you win the TUF title.

For Kimbo it is more of a formality and some sort of pomp and circumstance to save a little face for Dana White.  Dana White talked more trash on this guy than he has on Fedor or Loretta Hunt.  Dana White told the public that the only way Kimbo was going to get into the UFC was through TUF.  Dana made sure he never said that Kimbo had to win.

TUF has become a joke. The six- figure “make it or break it” contracts offer nothing to entice the best of the best talent. This latest season of TUF has increased in ratings, but obviously because of Kimbo.  Unfortunately, win, lose, or draw, Kimbo will still fight in the UFC.  What’s perhaps more disapponting, is that Kimbo will still sell more pay per views and seats over the champion of this show. However, whether or not he can hang with the upper crust of the heavyweight division remains to be seen.  Look for the answer to come shortly in 2010.