This will be my first entry. My blogs will generally be fight/event reviews, but I am beginning with TUF season reviews. I will take a look at the progression of each fighter and attempt to get caught up on the careers of the now famous and forgotten fighters who were subjects on the reality show. I do realize this has been done before and most likely by better writers and more knowledgeable analysts, but I have to start somewhere. Lets get to it!

Season one is hands-down the most entertaining season. As if that were not enough, it also had the deepest class of fighters in the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions. Do not pay much attention to the weights though because many of these fighters were fighting way outside of their natural weight classes.

Episode 1: Dana White is younger, skinnier, and has much more hair. Willa Ford is the host and Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell are already legends. Jason Thacker wants to quit and teams are picked.

Episode 2: This season had "challenges" where the teams competed without actually fighting. Therefore, Jason Thacker and Chris Sanford were sent home.

Jason Thacker: What hasn't already been said? He was at the wrong end of every joke and one could not help feeling sorry for him as he obviously did not belong. He was extremely inexperienced and was overwhelmed in his lone MMA bout. The loss to Chris Leben was the beginning and end of his career. However, this kid had the balls to take on a challenge and step into the cage and give it his best shot. Record: 0-1.

Chris Sanford: He was one of the older fighters who came to the house somewhat out of shape. He was doomed from the beginning due to his age and ability. Sanford has legit jiu-jitsu and his body simply failed him. He did get invited back to the finale and lost via KO to Josh Koscheck. He fought one more time in a smaller show and ended his career at 5-1.

Episode 3: Bobby Southworth defeats Lodune Sincaid via KO.

Lodune Sincaid: Sincaid had as much hype as anyone coming onto the show. He sported a 6-0 record and was one of the more well rounded fighters on the show. However, Sincaid was too small for Southworth and was not quite athletic enough. He is one of the few early cast-offs who is still fighting and is a true MMA competitor. After the TUF finale (loss to Nate Quarry), he went on to beat Alex Schoenaur and James Irvin. He is still fighting to this day and overcame his mental health struggles. Record: 14-7.

Episode 4: Mostly drama free as Diego Sanchez defeats Alex Karalexis.

Alex Karalexis: Facing Diego Sanchez in the opening round is just plain unfair. Karalexis is a brawler who couldn't handle such a high level of intense jiu-jitsu and athleticism. There is not much to say about Karalexis. He is still fighting at the same level and style as he was in 2005. He has the ability to beat most mid-tier fighters, but cannot handle top competition. Karalexis went 1-2 in the UFC and got the axe in 2006. He is still with Zuffa in the WEC sporting a 4-2 record with the company. Record: 10-4.

Episode 5-6: Lots of drama leads to a fight between Josh Koscheck over Chris Leben.

Chris Leben: Leben seriously defied all odds and still remains a popular fighter in the UFC. He has seemingly gotten more serious although he still has numerous ups and downs (dramatic KOs and steroid use). "The Crippler" lost this bout by being laid on for two rounds and improved his takedown defense and jiu jitsu after the show completed. Leben was 10-2 coming into the house as the most seasoned fighter and took this opportunity lightly. Luckily, there are second/third chances and has gone 8-4 in the UFC since the show aired. Record: 18-6.

Episode 7: Stephan Bonnar defeats Bobby Southworth.

Bobby Southworth: Southworth entered the house as a slight favorite at 205 though he was much older. His strengths were his athleticism, size, and grappling. He had been fighting since 1998-99 and had big show experience against Vitor Belfort. To this day I do not totally agree with this decision versus Bonnar, however; the UFC has to be delighted that Southworth did not face Griffin in the finale. Just think would could have taken place in that bout. Mr. Southworth has had an up and down career since losing to Sam Hoger in his lone UFC bout. He is still under contract with Strikeforce and is 3-2-1 since his time with Zuffa. Record: 9-6.

Episode 8: Nate Quarry leaves due to injury and Diego Sanchez defeats Josh Rafferty.

Nate Quarry: It was always easy to empathize with Nate Quarry as he has gone through a whole lot in his career. He's also very likable and emotional and that was apparent when he was kept on the show as a coach even after he was hurt. "Rock" came onto the show with a 5-1 record in smaller shows and was an interesting middle-aged prospect. He got his chance in the UFC vs. Sincaid and has had his moments in the organization ever since. He was the first fighter from the show to earn a title shot in a highlight reel KO loss to Rich Franklin. His only other loss since then has been to jiu jitsu master Demian Maia. UFC record: 6-2. Record: 11-3.

Josh Rafferty: Rafferty is easily one of the most forgettable fighters from the season because he was soft-spoken and a mid-tier talent. His recent fights mirror his early career as a good fighter in smaller shows who just cannot make the push past any b-level competition. Prior to the show he was a young prospect with a 4-3 record and had fought some tough opponents. Rafferty failed to progress in a growing sport and was easily eliminated by the top "middleweight" and lost his lone UFC appearance by Alex Karalexis. He is still beating lower level fighters and struggling against decent prospects. Record: 9-6.

Episode 9: The Forrest Griffin defeats Alex Schoenauer in his first performance.

Alex Schoenauer: Much like Rafferty, Alex is a true fighter with decent skills who never quite made it over the top. Aside from that, he was an interesting, educated guy who is actually a licensed boat captain. After his short appearance on TUF, Alex was 0-1 in the UFC helping Mike Swick earn his nickname of "quick" in a 20 second KO loss. Schoenauer is a true fighter, though, and put together a respectable record of 8-9 against mid-tier and top competition. He is mostly known for his time in the IFL and has not fought since the company went under in early 2008. Record: 14-9.

Episode 10: Kenny Florian defeats Chris Leben via cut.

Episode 11: Diego Sanchez beats Josh Koscheck via split decision.

Josh Koscheck: Here is the first example of the first one-dimentional talented wrestling athlete with tons of potential on TUF. Koscheck was successful at being able to lay and pray after training MMA for one year prior to the show. Right after the show the fans could see a work in progress that would be nearly unbeatable if ever completed. Koscheck continues to improve his striking and jiu jitsu which makes him one of the top welterweights in the world today. Koscheck's belief in his improved hands has gotten him in trouble lately, but every opponent must worry about his wrestling and power. His first bout versus Sanford was one of his only "easy" fights as he has piled up a great 10-4 record since the show. Record: 12-4.

Episode 12: Forrest Griffin defeats Sam Hoger and Stephan Bonnar defeats Mike Swick.

Sam Hoger: Sometimes arrogant, sometimes out of shape, always a tough guy to fight. Hoger was easily one of the least popular fighters on TUF 1 due to his attitude and theft issues. At the time, though, he was a top young prospect who had a well rounded game. He ended up fighting Bobby Southworth (the other semi-finalist loser) at the TUF finale and getting his first UFC win increasing his record to 5-0. Unfortunately, Hoger had reached his potential and went 1-3 in his next 4 fights and was sent packing in early 2007. All losses were to very good fighters and he recently came back to smaller shows going 2-0 since 2008. He is working on his MBA and is very educated and may have even started his own BJJ gym is I remember correctly. Record: 8-4.

Mike Swick: Another young veteran prospect who definitely made the most of his opportunity. It was unfortunate Swick's abilities were overshadowed by silly antics and obnoxious cast members. Mike was 5-1 with a loss to Chril Leben just before coming into the house. To me, Zuffa really dropped the ball never letting this re-match take place. After this loss, Swick was 4-0 in the UFC by mid-2006 while spending 5:08 inside the octagon. Swick progressed and re-invented himself and continues to do so to this day as a welterweight. He is now 9-1 in the organization and is deserving of a title shot versus the winner of St. Pierre and Alves. Record: 14-2

Finale: Forrest Griffin defeats Stephan Bonnar and Diego Sanchez defeats Kenny Florian.

Stephan Bonnar: These last four are fairly obvious. All of these guys have improved drastically and were a major part of MMA history. Bonnar will always be best known for his legendary bout against Forrest Griffin which "changed the face of MMA forever". Bonnar chose to slug it out with Griffin when he could have clinched and attempted takedowns since he had superior grappling. As a reward he will be forever employed by Zuffa one way or another and will always be remembered for his hilarious commentary within the TUF house. To this day his only losses have been to great fighters as he was 6-1 prior to the show. Keith Jardine is Bonnar's biggest victory to date in a career that may be looked at as mediorcre if it wasn't for his great personality and epic battle with Forrest Griffin. Record: 11-5.

Kenny Florian: He is a prime example of an inexperienced, underestimated fighter who improves at an alarming rate with every fight. Each time I've seen him fight he has a new tool which he has seemed to master overnight. Florian's training must be second to none. Prior to TUF he was an underdog with a 2-1 record who has been training part time for 2-3 years. Just like the others, he was overwhelmed in his fight against Diego Sanchez. Unlike some of the others, Florian seemed to train full time and fought twice more in the next 7 months to attain a 2-1 record in the UFC against lower level fighters. Florian only has one loss since then and is trying to become the fourth TUFer to win a UFC title (against BJ Penn) after his recent 6 fight win-streak. Record: 11-3.

Diego Sanchez: Along with Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez was a favorite to win the middleweight contract. The one difference is that Diego was already a great fighter who was above average in every aspect of the fight game. Along with the other greats, he has continued to improve and is looking to earn a lightweight title shot in the near future. Sanchez was 11-0 against some decent competition before his time on TUF and was known as a major threat on the ground. Sanchez has shown no signs of slowing down since his TUF finale win and has only lost to Fitch and Koscheck where he was undersized and injured. Record: 20-2.

Forrest Griffin: Charismatic, lucky, tough, funny, and relentless are just a few words to describe Forrest Griffin. Along with Southworth, Griffin was the favorite to win the show having already beaten top competition in the past as a part time fighter. Every single aspect was there for a superstar career. This man was destined to be the posterboy to bring MMA to the masses. Forrest was already 9-2 having fought the likes of Jeremy Horn, Chael Sonnen, Jeff Monson, and Dan Severn before even stepping foot into the octagon. His odd sense of humor and easy-going attitude won the fans over during the season and propelled him to a legendary fighter status a few short months later. Since the show he became the second TUF contestant to become a UFC champion. His ups and downs have been seen by all and he will always have a home with the UFC and will always be one of the most important fighters in MMA history. Record: 16-5.