Mike Chiesa, Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin Discuss The Ultimate Fighter
Posted by Larry Csonka on 09.14.2012
They defend the show…
- Mike Chiesa, Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin recently spoke about The Ultimate Fighter. Here are the highlights…
Mike Chiesa on the Viability of The Ultimate Fighter: "You look at guys like Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping – guys that have won world titles, guys that are top contenders in their weight classes – they've all been through the show and been through the process. By all means, I am not categorizing myself with those guys. I have a long way to go. I haven't even fought a fight outside of the 'The Ultimate Fighter' banner yet, but people need to tune in because these are the prospects. All these guys they bring in, these guys are prospects that the UFC is looking at. You're watching the cream of the crop for up-and-coming prospects, and you're putting them in this pressure cooker and making them fight each other."
Chiesa on Preparing For The Show: "Honestly, it's a really hard thing to prepare for," Chiesa said. "I thought the seclusion from reality wouldn't get to me, but it really gets to you. There's really no way to prepare for 'The Ultimate Fighter.' I think it's best if guys just go in there open-minded. Don't commit yourself that you're prepared to be secluded, away from your family, away from your training partners. Just go in with an open mind and soak it in. Still, I think that no matter what you do, at some point the show is going to creep up on you. At some point, you're going to have some kind of a breakdown."
Nelson on the Show: "I'd rather be a contestant than a coach again," Nelson admitted. "As much as fighters say it sucks, it's because they haven't experienced both of them. When you're a contestant, you only have one goal, and that's to win the whole thing. As a coach, you have so many other goals you're trying to accomplish, and you have to have the whole team working with you."
Carwin on The Show: "I was a little hesitant at first," Carwin said. "I have a family that I have to take care of first, so making sure they were taken care of and knowing what my roles and responsibilities were was a priority if I was on board. But it was a great experience. It taught me a lot about myself and little things that may even be a little life-changing in regards to dealing with people and managing situations. I think this season is different from some of the other seasons. Fans will have to tune in, but I think there were some things that happened this season that have never happened before."
