The Ultimate Fighter 3

The Ultimate Fighter 3 – Season Recap

Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter begins with a bang. The coaches are UFC fighters Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz. They have never been friends, tolerating each in the past when the occasion required. Now, both are pitted against each other, commanding their teams toward the season finale.

Episode 1 begins with UFC President, Dana White, asking that Shamrock and Ortiz contain their bitterness toward each other and be professional during the season. They agree and 16 middleweights and light heavyweights are divided between them. Eventually, Mike Stine from Team Ortiz is eliminated and sent home. In Episode 2, Jesse Forbes is beaten by Noah Inhofer and sent home, evening the teams.

By the end of Episode 3, Team Shamrock loses Ross Pointon. In the final bout of Episode 4, Shamrock loses another fighter as Kristian Rothaermel suffers a stunning blow to the head by the better-prepared Michael Bisping. Episode 5 begins with Shamrock changing his team’s training pattern. But, the hemorrhaging continues as his team watches the elimination of Solomon Hutcherson. In Episode 6, Team Ortiz’s Noah Inhofer decides to leave the show and return home to console his girlfriend, who thinks Inhofer has cheated on her. The fighters are stunned by his decision to leave.

Forbes comes back in Episode 7 to take Inhofer’s place. By the end of the episode, Team Ortiz’s Josh Haynes eliminates Tait Fletcher in a controversial decision by the judges. During Episode 8, Danny Abiddi suffers a back injury and is defeated in the Octagon by Team Shamrock’s Ed Herman. In Episode 9, Matt Hamill, on Team Ortiz, is injured during practice. Despite his injury, he eliminates Mike Nickles from the cast.

During Episode 10, Hamill’s injury is deemed too great to continue. He leaves the show and is replaced by Ross Pointer. Dana White announces that the semi-finals will start soon. Kendall Grove eventually sends Kalib Starnes home. At the end of Episode 11, Ed Herman eliminates Rory Singer. In the next episode’s bout, Josh Haynes sends the recently-returned Jesse Forbes back home, and the battle lines are drawn for the Season Finale.

Kendall Grove and Ed Herman are the last 2 fighters left. Though the fight between them is close, Kendall Grove defeats Ed Herman. Both are given 6-figure UFC contracts for lasting longer than the entire cast during The Ultimate Fighter, Season 3.