UFC’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ will spotlight White-Nelson friction
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White said the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter†on FX will feature a return to more household personal drama.
White’s relationship with coach and UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson is part of the tension.
“Roy and I don’t get along,†White said. “I think as part of this people will want to see me fight Roy … everything that comes out of his mouth bothers me, and the thing about Roy Nelson is he’s the ultimate underachiever.
“He says he wants more sponsors … mullet, scraggly beard, 30 pounds overweight, you think people want to invest in that? If he took himself seriously -- he went the distance with Junior Dos Santos! -- and trained and cleaned up …. He doesn’t want to do things right.â€
Nelson and Shane Carwin will coach the teams of 32 welterweights, who will reside and fight in the UFC’s Las Vegas house and gym. The cast includes four Southern Californians: Diego Bautista of Lakewood, Corona’s Ricky Legere (a former three-sport athlete at Norco High School), San Bernardino’s Saad Away and Murrieta’s Sam Alvey.
In its 17th version, “The Ultimate Fighter†debuts Friday at 9 p.m. on FX. The competition eliminates fighters with bouts in the octagon, with the winner on Dec. 15 receiving a UFC contract.
“TUF has proven itself with guys who’ve become world champions and given the UFC some great fights, and this group has talent to do the same,†White said.
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