The UFC officially announced this week that Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Frank Mir would be coaching teams on the eighth season of the Ultimate Fighter reality series. Many bloggers are up in arms over the selections for various reasons that range from tying up another title picture to explaining that the show is near death as far as appeal to MMA fans. The ratings would certainly indicate a drop-off of the show’s popularity over the years, and the coaching selection will tie up the Heavyweight title for a lengthy amount of time while the UFC tries to figure out who will move into the contention spot. What’s the problem with The Ultimate Fighter and with the news that “Big Nog” and Mir will battle it out for the title?

To answer the question, let me reference a couple of opinions from Fightlinker and Bloody Elbow and weigh in my own opinion. Fightlinker had this to say:

Let’s get something straight: a fight between Frank Mir and Big Nog is barely interesting enough to carry a PPV on its own, let alone an entire season of TUF. As for the argument that TUF exposure is a great way for Nog to become popular, that’s ass backwards thinking. Sticking a relatively unknown guy on TUF is just going to result in less people giving a shit about it. And it’s not like Nog just needs a showcase for his shining personality. The guy looks / acts like a big lumbering Frankenstein. For all the excitement he creates in the ring, he’s duller than matte paint in real life.

And don’t even get me fucking started on Frank Mir … Frank Mir, who everyone continues to say is “back.” This, despite the fact that UFC virgin Brock Lesnar nearly smashed his face through the canvas. Despite the fact that his only ‘convincing’ recent win was against a kickboxer who tried to out-sub him. I know MMA fans have the memory of sea amoebae, but was it really that long ago that a Krispy Kreme sponsored Mir waddled into the octagon to get easily annihilated by Brandon Vera?

I would definitely agree that Nogueira vs. Mir isn’t a main event that can carry a pay-per-view for the simple fact that Nogueira is fairly unknown to the casual fanbase and Mir is on the return track back to the title. I will say that I was one of those people on board to seeing Nogueira gets some exposure to boost his draw, but in thinking about it over the past couple of months and with the recent TUF season’s lackluster ratings and overall dullness, exposure for Nogueira probably wouldn’t be significant.

Bloody Elbow’s Luke Thomas had this to add:

For the record, I think this season is terrible and that's with two coaches who are good on camera, legitimate MMA stars and generally amiable and funny guys. If this format can't even work with them at the helm, I seriously doubt Mir and Nogueira is going to be any better (or even as good).

Look, the show - in its current format - has jumped the shark. I think there are a host of reasons for this, but part of it is that the talent well has run dry. If the UFC were able to space seasons further apart, they might be able to draw on more mature and developed talent. But they're running this machine into the ground and I don't think they've been able to cull the kind of talent they need consistently to make the show interesting.

In fact, the coaches' celebrity status used to be an ancillary benefit. TUF was originally and almost exclusively about the developing fighters. And when the show first started, there were a lot of up-and-comers to choose from. But between the pacing of the seasons and the growth of MMA leading to other organizations snatching up talent, there just isn't that much left to go around. Mir and Nogueira, despite being two of my favorite fighters, aren't going to change that dynamic.

Luke makes a good point that the talent outside of the UFC that they are able to pull from has decreased substantially. I’ve thought about this myself, and it seems that ProElite and some of the promotions overseas are grabbing up some of that talent. The ongoing debate on what fighters should get from their contracts and the restrictions in the Zuffa contracts probably doesn’t help, and it could be a small deterrent as well.

One reason I believe the series has lulled in excitement is due to the coaches really not having a beef with each other. While the comedy of both coaches is a pleasant relief from the dull tension that sometimes plagues the series, it isn’t a Tito vs. Shamrock angry tension that created some of the higher ratings for the series. Right now however, I don’t believe a heated rivalry between coaches would help the show at all.

In the end, a combination of both opinions is probably the biggest reason why this next season won’t do much better. Nogueira’s personality isn’t exactly flowing with exuberance, and putting Mir and Nogueira together will probably be less eventful than this season. Add in the fact that fighter talent has dropped off outside the UFC due to other promotions signing them to contracts, it just doesn’t bode well for the show.

In my opinion, The Ultimate Fighter is just a lame duck. I’ve watched it for multiple seasons and have usually been excited to see the fights during the next week’s show, but as of late, I could care less what really has been happening on the show. Some people may live for drama that involves a can of chew and lime juice, but who really gives a shit? I think Dana White’s new format ideas need to come sooner rather than later.

In the recent months, the UFC’s Heavyweight division has come under fire as being a division that is slowly losing its luster. Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Randy Couture, and Jake O’Brien have all departed by way of contract issues, being cut from the promotion, or feeling disrespected. In any case, the division needs a kick in the pants, and it needs some publicity behind it to get fans buying up pay-per-views featuring the big men as well as tuning into The Ultimate Fighter due to their presence.

Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira and Frank Mir are both rumored to be in the final stages of being tabbed as coaches on the show. Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch are also in the running as well from earlier reports, but I wanted to focus on the heavyweight rumors due to the community disagreement with the rumor.

Is Frank Mir a good choice? Many fans are stating that both fighters are terrible choices for the reasons that pertain to their end of the series showdown in a potential title fight. Some fans believe it’s a terrible fight for Mir to suddenly take on, and others hate the fact that the UFC Heavyweight brass will be tied up much like the other title pictures were in other seasons. The fact of the matter is that the UFC still needs to build stars to maintain the success that they’ve brought to themselves, and this is the way to do it. We’ve already sat through multiple title pictures being on hold due to the show, and it won’t be any different here. The only saving grace is that the division really doesn’t have a clear cut contender.

With that said, Mir is a good choice for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, he can have an abrasive attitude that could produce some interesting conversations and disagreements on the show. Whether you reference his comments related to breaking bones of his opponents in pre-fight interviews or the fact that he has come off as elitist in other interviews, it could make for good television. Even if we see a more intelligent Frank Mir on the show, his vast knowledge of the jiu-jitsu game will only help the fighters on the show perform even better.

The bigger problem that fans have expressed is with Antonio Nogueira. I believe he’s being undervalued by much of the fanbase in being a coach on the show. Sure, he’s Brazilian, speaks with an accent and in his Brazilian tongue mostly, but he has very good English. He also happens to be one of the toughest fighters to ever grace the ring/cage, and I think it would break new ground for the UFC to bring in a Brazilian fighter. I would also wonder if the UFC would potentially look toward Brazil for more prospects because he would be participating.

To be perfectly honest, Nogueira’s exposure on SpikeTV is the more important aspect to his coaching assignment. He’s likely going to hold the belt for a substantial amount of time, and the UFC should definitely be keen on promoting him as much as they can to the fight fans out there. He is, after all, a legend of the sport, and if some type of personality can come out of him during the show, he could gain some fans through the process. Subsequently, we could see slightly bigger draws for those events in which he is featured.

Although I don’t believe it is the absolute best choice for The Ultimate Fighter 8, it’s definitely not a wash. Mir is intelligent in what he knows about the ground game and MMA in general, and he knows how to persevere through life’s tragedies and tests on the human mind and body. Nogueira is also a master at his trade, and he’s been through tough trials and tribulations in his career as well and his personal life at a young age. Don’t doubt for a minute that the UFC won’t push those stories for fans to eat up with a spoon. They both should make the fighters on the show much better in their respective skillsets as well.

Over at FiveOuncesOfPain.com, Gary Herman wrote a small piece with some quotes from Nogueira regarding his prime competition over the years, the menacing Fedor Emelianenko. In the piece, Nogueira simply states that he's in the UFC with the belt and will take on Fedor if he ever comes to the promotion. He also gives insight on Fedor's decision to stay away from the UFC.

One of the main topics in the small blurb revolves around the ranking on Nogueira in the world of MMA today in the Heavyweight division. Herman pushes the idea that Nogueira may not receive championship credit if he never beats Randy Couture. It's a true statement, especially considering the casual fanbase is knowledgeable of Randy Couture, but most likely hasn't seen the legacy of Antonio Nogueira. That leads us to the inevitable question, can Noguiera ever obtain the #1 spot?

No, he won't reach #1. Eventually, Randy's hiatus from the sport will make him irrelevant in the rankings. He'll retire in the next couple of years, and that'll be the last of his spot in the top 10. Nogueira could potentially take the #1 spot on some rankings, but for those of us who have been privy to Fedor's absolute crushing destruction of Nogueira in two of their matchups and was on his way to a similar fate until an accidental headbutt in another meeting, it's obvious that you cannot rank Nogueira above Fedor.

The only scenario I can fathom is that Couture comes back, Nogueira defeats Couture, and Fedor decides to take a layoff for nearly 2 years, which is highly unlikely. Even in that scenario, it's a tough call due to the dominance Fedor displayed against "Minotauro". The real question that comes to mind is, what does Fedor have to do in order to drop in ranking?

A long layoff and fighting "cans" will definitely hurt your ranking, but what happens when the man behind you was dominated in every single meeting between the two? It's a tough call, and it'll be up for debate for the next year. Three fights later, and two dominating performances by Fedor hurt Nogueira's chances tremendously. Couple that historical fact with the other criteria: Fedor's striking, ground and pound, and submission defense are all very good, and his submission game is unparalleled. At least Nogueira can counter the submission game, but can he stop Fedor's face pounding punches in a fourth fight? Doubtful.

On Saturday night, a new Heavyweight champion will be crowned and the birth or re-birth of a career will happen for one particular fighter. Brock Lesnar will be looking to start a new career as a mixed martial arts fighter as he makes the crossover from entertainment-style pro wrestling to the fight game. His opponent, Frank Mir, hopes to impress the Mandalay Bay crowd by showing us a bit of the old Frank Mir that won the UFC Heavyweight title at one point.

The UFC's Heavyweight title will also be on the line as Tim Sylvia will take on former PRIDE Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. The fight has been deemed the “interim” title bout, but it seems to merely be a tactic to keep Couture within his contract limits. This should determine the real champion. The card will also feature a lightweight bout between Tyson Griffin and Gleison Tibau, a battle between middleweights Terry Martin and Marvin Eastman, and the return of Ricardo Almeida to MMA. Jeremy Horn will also make a return to the UFC in a matchup against possible contender Nathan Marquardt.

Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir
Heavyweight Division

Brock Lesnar (1-0) is a complete unknown in the sport of mixed martial arts. His lone match against Min Soo Kim at K-1 Dynamite in June proved that Lesnar can at least pass guard and take down an opponent, but Kim wasn't exactly the prototypical litmus test to see if Lesnar has what it takes to be a champion. Frank Mir (10-3) could possibly be that test.

Mir is a world class jiu-jitsu practitioner with a plethora of weapons on the ground in the form of a wealth of knowledge in the submission game. That's where it ends for Frank Mir. He has the phenomenal ability to end the fight quickly once on the ground, but his standup is lacking. He isn't particularly dangerous in the striking game, and being on the ground with a much bigger, much strong Brock Lesnar could be his downfall.

Lesnar brings a wealth of wrestling credentials to the MMA world. He finished his collegiate career as a two-time NJCAA All-American, two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and the 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion, finishing with a ridiculous record of 106-5 overall. There is no doubt that he will have good takedown abilities, and it will be very tough to deal with Lesnar's strength. Lesnar also seems to be fairly light on his feet. It's been said that he has some decent striking and quick footwork, but those skills will be proven on Saturday night. Can Lesnar avoid the submission? That's the big question.

I simply can't pick Frank Mir in this fight for a few reasons. He won't be as strong as Lesnar, and Lesnar's wrestling skills will be tough to counter with the amount of power he has. Mir's standup is horrible, and it'd have to improve considerable if Lesnar is to be in danger of being knocked out. Mir has had too many lackluster performances in the past as well, and his cardio is always a question later in the fight.

Leland's Prediction: Brock Lesnar via TKO, Round 2

From the moment this fight starts, I look for Lesnar to immediately shoot on Mir and begin to work some ground-and-pound. The question that needs to be answered is this: Is Mir going to have an answer for Lesnar from his back? Many people think so, but I don’t. I think Lesnar’s strength and wrestling ability will overpower Mir.

I can guarantee you that Lesnar has been doing nothing but training submission defense and polishing up his wrestling. If I was Mir, I would think about throwing knees sporadically. He may catch Lesnar with a knee when he shoots for a takedown. However, I think there’s a slim chance that happens. Look for a stoppage in the second round from strikes.

Joe's Prediction: Brock Lesnar via TKO, Round 2

Over aggressive wrestling is not uncommon among relatively green fighters.  They stay in the danger-zone for far too long and the result is often a submission loss. Mir is vet so he’ll no doubt be relaxed entering the fight.  All the pressure is on the Lesnar as a result of his self aggrandizement, while Mir is simply on the comeback trail with the chance to fell the new kid in town. I’m going against my gut feeling, and taking Mir with a triangle-choke win.

John’s Prediction: Frank Mir via submission, Round 2
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Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Heavyweight Division

Tim Sylvia (24-3) will try to win the UFC title once again as he takes on the iron chin of Antonio Nogueira. Sylvia comes into this bout after much criticism over his win over Brandon Vera. In the bout, Sylvia and Vera both had moments in which leaning on each other was a tactic to extend the matchup and cause the crowd to boo in disapproval. Sylvia simply did what he could to win the fight, and Vera broke his hand in the first round that made his striking completely useless.

This isn't the first time Sylvia has been labeled being the cause of a boring fight. His style consists of straight jabs, some kicks, and clinches, but never any ground game. He usually tries to move in and out and rarely allows himself to get in a spot to be taken down. His main weapon in many of his fights is his physical size and reach, and it makes for some boring standup battles in which his opponents can't seem to find a way to get inside or take him down.

With that said, Nogueira has a tough task ahead of him. He has excellent jiu-jitsu skills on the ground, and has some phenomenal boxing skills on his feet. The only problem is that he will lack reach on Sylvia, and it will be hard not to take heavy blows trying to get inside on Sylvia. Unless Nogueira can work a clinch and somehow put the big man down, it's going to be a downhill battle for Nogueira in the beginning. The best chance he has is by tiring Sylvia and hopefully getting him to the floor.

Can he actually achieve that goal? I can't decide, and this is the toughest pick I've had in awhile. Nogueira has taken beatings from the best in the world. Fedor crushed him with blows, and he still managed to last. He has an iron chin, great boxing, and excellent ground tactics. I have faith that he can take down Sylvia, especially considering Vera was able to do so at least once in his fight. That may be all it takes. I'll go with the long shot.

Leland's Prediction: Antonio Nogueira via submission, Round 4

I’ve went back-and-forth on this fight the last couple of days. I’ve watched a plethora of tape on both fighters. The key to winning for Nogueira is obvious; he must get this fight to the ground. Nogueira has good boxing, but he’s going to have to work on the inside. Sylvia is going to want to stay away from Nogueira and paw at him with his jab. I can see Tim using the same style he beat Brandon Vera with. Close the distance quick with strikes and push Nogueira against the fence.

Nogueira is going to have a tough time getting inside on Tim as he doesn’t throw many hooks. He likes to throw combinations straight down the middle which leaves his opponent no room to work on the inside. If Nogueira watched any tape, he’ll know that Tim throws a lazy left jab and that he can counter that with an overhand right. I think Nogueira’s chin can keep him in the fight long enough to get Tim to the floor and submit him.

Joe's Prediction: Antonio Nogueira via submission, Round 3

I look at the two, and simply think Nogueira is a better fighter. Minotauro has better submission skills than anyone Timmy has faced (Mir included) and has also shown real susceptibility to the combination of quick hands and control on the ground.  I see this playing out much like the battle with Couture.  As the rounds wear on, the fight gets farther from Sylvia’s reach.  Minotauro grinds out a signature win.

John’s Prediction: Antonio Nogueira via unanimous decision
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See our predictions on the other matchups including Griffin vs. Tibau, Eastman vs. Martin, Horn vs. Marquardt, and the rest of the card by clicking More...

Calgary Sun had an article up that had a quote from Randy Couture regarding the Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira interim title bout:

"I think it's going to be a good fight. I'm a fan of the sport first and foremost. I think it's an interesting matchup. Nogueira's strength tends to be on the ground and in the submission game and Tim is just a long, strong hard to take down guy who's got great striking abilities. It's a classic matchup and for the interim title so they both have a lot on the line. I like Tim's chances in that fight given Nogueira's performace against Heath Herring in the last fight. I like Sylvia in a stoppage of some kind." 

So, can the uncanny predictor in Randy Couture be right this time? He went south in some recent event predictions, but when it comes to big fights and we're leaning on the fence on who to pick, Couture seems to be the man with the answer.

For me, Couture produces a good assessment of the stylistic matchup between both fighters. Nogueira is strongest on the ground. Sylvia is strongest on his feet. Naturally, this would mean that Nogueira would have to take down Tim Sylvia and submit him. Even with Sylvia on the floor, it's still a massive task for "Minotauro" to submit the giant.

There are two factors that come into play in my mind when it comes to this fight. First, the standup skills of Antonio Nogueira. He'll have a significant reach disadvantage to Sylvia, and Sylvia tends to throw straight punches that are very hard to dodge and withstand for any amount of time. Nogueira is renowned for using the Cuban National boxing team as a training center for his striking skills, and we've seen improvement over time in those skills. Nogueira's boxing in the cage still doesn't contain the traditional bob and weaves that we may see from smaller, more compact fighters, but his hands have shown more quickness in every matchup. In my mind, Nogueira's defense in the striking is a huge key to putting Sylvia down.

Some say defense wins championships. In this case, it may be true. If Nogueira can avoid damage and find a way to put Sylvia to the ground, look for his jiu-jitsu instincts to submit Big Tim. If Tim keeps this fight on the feet, I have no doubt that Tim Sylvia can stop Antonio Nogueira. Nogueira has an iron chin, great ground skills, and solid boxing, but he lacks the size that Sylvia physically presents. It's a damn shame that I'm a sucker for underdogs. I'll most likely go with PRIDE memories and pick Nogueira, although I'm leaning toward Sylvia due to his size and striking. It's a toss-up.

How do you feel about it? Lend us your thoughts in our comments section.

I've heard a lot of ramblings about the current heavyweight rankings on many of the major sites. I normally don't delve in rankings too much, but it's hard not to use those rankings as a gauge to tell us how matchups may come about in the divisional matchups. Excluding the ridiculous marketing ploys that Zuffa tries to do with having TUF alumni or some other lower-tiered fighter getting a title shot, the top guys normally fight each other. The most controversial rankings have been the welterweight and heavyweight rankings for the pure fact that Matt Serra got a dream title shot and miraculously won, and Couture, Fedor, Sylvia, and Nogueira are all in the top echelon of the heavyweights, but the top 3 have intertwining factors. We're going to take a closer look at the heavyweight picture, and hopefully I can clear up a few key aspects as to why I believe Fedor will retain his #1 status until a dramatic outcome to some upcoming fights occurs.

Fedor still #1?

The dreaded question that upsets the UFC and PRIDE fanboys. One side says yes and another side says no. If we use the concensus rankings around the industry, I think we can use these rankings for our discussion:

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Randy Couture
3. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira
4. Tim Sylvia

The situation after the defeat of Gabriel Gonzaga in which Randy Couture was once again a small underdog was the fight that really caused some uproar. Fedor was still running the contest to see who could give in to his demands first and still inactive. Couture had two impressive victories in fights that he was supposed to lose according to the oddsmakers. So why isn't he #1? In my opinion, the best gauge would be a fight with Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira. Obviously, beating the #3 ranked heavyweight in the world would propel your stock, but it also gives Couture 3 big wins over top 5 heavyweights in the division, something Fedor hasn't done in quite some time. With Fedor's inactivity and the possibility of him fighting guys who aren't even in the top 10, or in the top 10, but at the back of the pack, you could make an argument for Fedor dropping to #2.

Here's where it gets confusing and most people completely ignore these facts and sound completely ridiculous. Couture is now inactive. Sure, he hasn't stated whether he would be walking away or waiting out his contract and probably going into a legal battle. He won't move from the #2 spot without fighting though. With a Sylvia vs. Nogueira matchup in the works if we don't see Couture accept a matchup with Nogueira, Sylvia is in prime position to move up in the rankings and possibly overcoming Fedor with another key win in the top 5. The problem: Minotauro.

Why is Fedor still #1? For the simple fact that Nogueira has yet to fight a legitimate top 5 contender in the UFC. He's the gauge as to where Fedor will go in the rankings. The key piece. If Nogueira somehow submits Sylvia in their potential matchup and beats Sylvia, there is no possible way he can move ahead to a #1 spot. Why? Nogueira was completely destroyed by Fedor Emelianenko is 2 fights with the champion, and in another matchup, was being completed destroyed until the accidental headbutt no-contested the fight. In Nogueira's last matchup, he was much better, but was still on the losing end. Either way, if Nogueira captures the title, Fedor will remain #1. It's tough to put someone ahead of a guy who completely dominated you.

Sylvia has a great shot at being projected to the #1 spot for the mere fact that he has not fought Fedor, but could dominate Nogueira and prove his worth. Couture could also man up and take on Nogueira as well and do the same thing in the rankings. The next time you want to argue the heavyweight rankings, think about these situations and the historical aspects of the Nogueira vs. Fedor. It weighs heavy on where both fighters go. The X-factor is Tim Sylvia, unless Couture decides to fight out his contract.