The Ultimate Fighter Team Hughes Vs. Team Serra: Fall TV Premiere

The sixth season of the UFC reality TV show - The Ultimate Fighter - has begun on Spike TV. This season marks several firsts for the show that helped transform the UFC from fringe sport to mainstream popularity. Matt Serra, who was the winner of a previous season of The Ultimate Fighter, went on to win the welterweight championship by knocking out Georges St. Pierre; making him the first Ultimate Fighter alum to win a championship in the UFC. Now Matt Serra is one of the coaches for this season of the show, making him the first cast member to then become a coach.

Matt Hughes was the longtime, dominant welterweight champion in the UFC. In season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter, he coached opposite of Georges St. Pierre, with the two scheduled to fight after the season. St. Pierre won the bout and now Matt Hughes is looking to regain his title by defeating Matt Serra. The two coaches, who have a clear distaste for each other, are scheduled to fight in December. Hughes looks at Serra like a loudmouth fluke, without the talent and skills to be a true champion. Serra sees Hughes as a pompous jock, with no respect for anybody but himself.

This season of The Ultimate Fighter once again features welterweights (170 lb limit). A total of sixteen fighters are participating, and in the first episode they were picked onto teams. Prior to the teams being picked, the coaches evaluated all of the fighters for skill level, fitness, work ethic and attitude among other attributes. Serra picked Joe Scarola, a fighter who trains at his gym at home and one of his good friends first. This was much to the delight of Hughes, who didn't see Scarola as a worthy fighter let alone a top pick. Matt Hughes then went on to select Scarola to fight one of his top fighters, Mac Danzing, who was the most experienced fighter on the show.