Sources: No TUF 13 Elmination Round, Only 14 Cast Members

While the past three seasons have featured an initial elimination round of fights, "The Ultimate Fighter 13" will kick off with just 14 cast members. Beginning with "TUF 11," the UFC expanded its initial fighter group from the usual 16 to 28. To get into the house and become an official cast member, fighters had to win an elimination-round bout on the first day of taping. With the upcoming 13th season, the elimination round has been eliminated. But the "wild card" selections still are in play. "TUF 13" began production today in Las Vegas, and the shows debuts March 30 on Spike TV. Former champ Brock Lesnar and fellow heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos serve as head coaches and each oversees a team on the show. Although initially expected to feature both welterweight and middleweight fighters, producers recently chose to go with a cast of all 170-pounders this season. It's not clear why the UFC and Spike TV nixed the elimination round for "TUF 13."

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Apparently they have something against ratings! I am a bigger fan of the elimination round than the coaching selection for this season. The first two episodes of the last few seasons have been jam packed with fights, now we'll get like maybe a fight a week, which is the only reason anyone watches in the first place....

Kinda sucks but having these guys fight like multiple times in 6 weeks is crazy and getting injured. But it's whatever.

That sucks.

Personally I found the opening round to be entertaining but I can understand why they cut it.

A lot of editing has to be done to get those fights into 1 or 2 episodes and a lot of people complained about only seeing part of a fight and having it presented to them as complete.

As long as the time gets filled with MMA and not with in house antics I'll still tune in for another season.

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Posted by pmoney

Apparently they have something against ratings! I am a bigger fan of the elimination round than the coaching selection for this season. The first two episodes of the last few seasons have been jam packed with fights, now we'll get like maybe a fight a week, which is the only reason anyone watches in the first place....

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I agree with you. I just hope the extra time won't be centered around Lesnar.

im gonns tune in for basically the opposite reason. to see how bad this
season is going to be from a coaching perspective. I feel that all the TUF 13
fighters are doomed if they expect to be helped out with bettering their skills.

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Posted by NaturalBornKiller92

im gonns tune in for basically the opposite reason. to see how bad this
season is going to be from a coaching perspective. I feel that all the TUF 13
fighters are doomed if they expect to be helped out with bettering their skills.

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Minnesota Martial Arts and Black House are terrible camps.

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Posted by gartface

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Posted by NaturalBornKiller92

im gonns tune in for basically the opposite reason. to see how bad this
season is going to be from a coaching perspective. I feel that all the TUF 13
fighters are doomed if they expect to be helped out with bettering their skills.

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Minnesota Martial Arts and Black House are terrible camps.

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QUOTE]Minnesota Martial Arts and Black House are terrible camps.

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I haven't heard any reports that either camp will show up consistently if at all on the show.

Doesn't matter about the coaching. The winner already has 16 wins under his belt, with above average skills in Savate/Muay Thai, and a black belt in Judo. He can be his own coach.

And the winner will be..... *Drum roll*


Karl Amoussou!




But seriously, I heard he showed up for the tryouts and I'd love to see him wreck some amatuers.