The Ultimate Fighter 17 Rankings
Hello everyone, after watching TUF 17 last night, I decided to put together a rankings page of the 14 participants. You can view it here or simply click on drop-down menu under “UFC Rankings” and “The Ultimate Fighter 17 Rankings” are listed right below the “Heavyweight Division.”
Uriah Hall looked to be the most legit threat in the house. He was explosive with a striking background and his grappling looked to be on par as well. I’m not sure how he would hold up against a wrestler like Gilbert Smith, but Hall seems to be the most talented fighter on the show. Saying that though, why was he the #3 overall pick? Sonnen picked 1st and took undefeated English fighter Luke Barnatt. Chael commented how Barnatt seemed to be the best conditioned athlete, and a lot of times in TUF that is the difference maker, especially considering the amount of fighting taking place in such a short period of time. Jon Jones picked next, and picked Clint Hester. Hester looked good in his opening fight, but his 7-3 overall record has to bring about some questions regarding his ability against stiffer competition. Hall was picked 3rd overall by Sonnen and as long as he is able to stay offensive and not be pushed around, I strongly feel he is a favorite to reach the finals. Tor Troeng, Josh Samman, and Zak Cummings are all very experienced fighters that should be able to hold their own if paired against untested guys like Adam Cella, Jimmy Quinlan, or Kelvin Gastelum. The x-factor guys are Barnatt, Hester, and Gilbert Smith. All were virtually unknown prospects before TUF 17 tryouts. They each looked talented, and as we have seen with a guy like Michael Chiesa or Court McGee, sometimes the grittiest, best-conditioned fighters with wrestling are able to grind out wins.
Guys that I am not sold on are Bubba McDaniel, Kevin Casey, or Dylan Andrews. Bubba struggled to beat a fighter he should of destroyed. Even his teammate Jon Jones, seemed to question Bubba’s overall fighting ability and consistency. Casey is presumed to be the oldest fighter on the show and he already has a cut from the preliminary fights. His ground game makes him dangerous, but he is unlikely to have the conditioning needed to compete with the Top 5 guys on the show. I thought Dylan Andrews looked good in his win over heavily-hyped prospect Tim Williams. Williams was considered to be one of the favorites once the cast was initially announced, and Andrews went in there and won a tough fight. Despite that fact, he was selected dead last by Sonnen and Jones. That speaks volumes about how the coaches judged Andrews’ overall ability to win this show.
So, overall after watching last night and based on some of the past research I have done, the rankings are as follows (For a more detailed overview, click “The Ultimate Fighter 17 Rankings” link):
1. Uriah hall
2. Tor Troeng
3. Josh Samman
4. Luke Barnatt
5. Zak Cummings
6. Clint Hester
7. Gilbert Smith
8. Bubba McDaniel
9. Collin Hart
10. Jimmy Quinlan
11. Kevin Casey
12. Dylan Andrews
13. Kelvin Gastelum
14. Adam Cella
