Sam Caplan issues a defense of the two most recent episodes of the reality show:

This is all too true. I wound up watching the show last night and thinking, "This ain't so bad." Of course, that was after the fight between Harris and Sadollah. I had yet to witness the disaster that was Yarbrough vs. Shultz.

So, I give credit to the UFC and to Spike for recognizing something needed to change, that the fights are the focal point of the show and that contrived reality drama is wearing thin for a number of fans.

The problem is that's not really addressing the root of the issue.

In sum, I feel like I'm watching "The Ultimate King of the Cager", not "The Ultimate Fighter". There's a reason why watching UFC fights is such a spectacular phenomenon: the talent is absolutely incredible and without question world class. It's the same appeal driving fan interest in the NFL, MLB, NHL and so forth. Yes, there is a place for college athletics, but the attachment to collegiate athletics involves more than just an evaluation of athletic prowess. The same goes for other sports and sports teams, but to a significantly reduced degree. This is why rival leagues that try to compete with the industry leaders fail: fans are accustomed to a certain high level of play and when new leagues can't match that, they are ignored very quickly.

And yes, there are some talented gems this season as there have been every season. C.B. Dolloway is an exciting prospect and I'm very curious to see what he can do in the UFC. But he - and the other top talent - cannot carry the day. We cannot be expected to a like a show where every third or fourth fight is good. We need some sort of consistency or something else to keep our attention.

I'm not the biggest fan of reality drama or bells and whistles, but Dana White has made it a point to compare TUF to other reality shows, specifically "American Idol". White argues, quite correctly, that only with TUF and AI are there actual real world success and consequences. All too true. But AI is a much larger phenomenon drawing on a significantly larger talent pool and it's live each and every week. In addition, the show has undergone a number of changes including allowing both younger and older competitors in the program to grow the available talent pool.

Or let's take MTV's "The Real World". If there is any show that's jumped the shark, this one is it. Yet, it's still around and in part, that's due to it's constant evolution. Each year there is a new cast, new city, new job and so on. And over time the editing and production has changed as well. With TUF, we are seven seasons deep and the teams train in the same facility, live in the same house (Editor's note: there may be up to four different houses, although I would argue that none have any "personality" different than the others), and do all the same things. The editing is exactly the same, the theme song is exactly the same and the production is only marginally improved.

Long story short, cosmetic improvements will no longer work. When your talent roster is fairly thin, you have to do more than put on more fights. Yes, that's absolutely a step in the right direction, but it's not nearly enough.

If you enjoy the show, don't let me stop you. But while I've been happier the past two weeks, I'm asking for legitimate change. I've watched the show every year and I think, at least a little, I've got some perspective on this. The show needs an overhaul and it needs it before next season.