'The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned' Episode 1 (VIDEO)
The word historical might get tossed around a little too often in sports, but there's no better way to describe the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, as 16 of the best women's fighters from around the world have gathered to compete in a tournament with the winner being crowned the new UFC strawweight champion.
Never before in over 20 seasons the show has been on the air has The Ultimate Fighter ever handed out a title at the end of the year, but that all changes with the new season. UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and top contenter Gilbert Melendez welcomed the fighters to the Ultimate Fighter gym in Las Vegas in the debut episode where they were greeted with some unexpected news.
All 16 fighters were rated and ranked before ever arriving in Las Vegas with UFC matchmakers creating the tournament that will eventually crown the new champion at the end of the season. The coaches still got a chance to evaluate the fighters before making their team selections and with each squad settled, the first fight announcement was made, pitting Team Melendez fighter Tecia Torres against Team Pettis' Randa Markos.
Torres was a heavy favorite going into the season with a 4-0 record and wins over two of her housemates. Markos, on the other hand, was a relative unknown out of Canada with a 4-1 record and made it on the show after going through the tryout process earlier this year.
Fights aren't settled by the odds, however, and just because Markos was a decided underdog didn't mean she was going to just bow out of the competition gracefully. The first fight of the season sets the tone for the entire year because the stakes are higher than ever. Check the fight out in the video above.
Each round could be the difference between winning a title and potentially losing everything. The Ultimate Fighter is officially underway and things are only going to get wilder from here.
