UFC: The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale - 5 Things We Learned

wikipediaIt was a busy weekend in UFC-land, with two events hosted down in Las Vegas. Saturday's UFC 175 has been well-covered, but looming in the shadows on Sunday was The Ultimate Fighter 19 finale. TUF 19: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn is probably notorious more for what didn't happen than what did. The fights simply weren't there for the first half of the season. It was so bad that UFC President Dana White publicly stated that it was the "worst" season they had filmed so far. Was it a sign that the talent pool was simply getting too thin, with two seasons of TUF per year and many fighters bypassing TUF and singing directly with the UFC? Were fighters simply playing it safe, as some coaches have advised in the past, to ensure a shot at victory? Whatever the reason, there were very few breakout stars. Cathal Pendered was one of the only real standouts, and he didn't make it to the finals (though he did sign on with the UFC anyway and will debut at UFC Dublin). And then there was the coach's fight: Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn... again. Was there a need for a third fight? Penn asked for it. He had something left to prove. Would cutting to featherweight take away his power though? Was he really motivated? Despite the dull season and the unnecessary Edgar vs Penn 3 bout, the TUF 19 finale was still unmissable viewing for fight fans. BJ Penn is a cornerstone of the company, when he fights, fans watch. With the dust settled and the smoke cleared, here are five things we learned from The Ultimate Fighter 19: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn finale.