SEATTLE - With his eyes welling ever so slightly, Ryan Chiappe (3-4) tried to keep a straight face while his dreams of quick fame were crushed.
"What did I do wrong?" the Prince George, British Columbia, native asked, echoing sentiments of the majority of 186 middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight hopefuls attending an open casting call for the 10th season of the "The Ultimate Fighter."
Like Chiappe, most were sent home after a two-minute grappling display. Like Chiappe, most were forced to confront the reality of reality television for the first time.
This was a showcase not a competition.
Typical macho bravado seemed cheap and silly. Flamboyance and charisma were the currencies of the day.
"This is like a lottery ticket," UFC matchmaker Joe Silva told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com). "These guys know that this can bring them fame and everything that goes with it."
The would-be reality stars came from all over the United States, Canada and England in hopes of emulating Amir Sadollah, who was discovered at a casting call and eventually become the "TUF7" champion. Among the fighters in the Marriott Hotel assembly hall: a smattering of UFC and IFL veterans like Rob Yundt (6-2), Scott Junk (6-2-1) and Aaron Stark (9-4) and former NFL players Marcus Jones (4-2), Rex Richards (6-1) and Herbert "Whisper" Goodman (9-6).
"This is unreal," Jones said.
A former All-American defensive tackle at North Carolina and first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 6-foot-6 heavyweight pumped his fist with excitement upon learning he had survived the first round of cuts.
"One day, I will tell my grandkids that I tried out for the UFC and I was a part of the greatest sport on the planet," Jones said.
Managing the masses
Cast members for the first two "TUF" seasons were selected from video tapes and recommendations. The first casting call was held before season three. Tryouts for the ninth season ("U.S. vs. U.K.") were held in Chicago and drew more than 600 applicants.
The numbers were more manageable Monday, and fighters were split into four groups. Every hopeful had their moment in front of Silva's watchful eye as well as the "TUF"/Spike TV brain trust: Craig Piligian, Brian Diamond, Chris Martello, Jamie Campione and Andrea Richter, who acted as emcee.
"Guys like (UFC veterans) Clay Guida, Roger Huerta and Jason Lambert did not make the cut," Silva told each group before they grappled. "This is not the end of your dreams."
If fighters survived the grappling phase, they participated in a mass striking exhibition - eight at a time, punching and kicking pads as Silva and Richter dodged their limbs. If they passed Silva's striking assessment, they were handed off to the "TUF"/Spike TV crew for the interview phase.
"This interview will [expletive] make or break you," Piligian, "TUF’s" executive producer, said. "This is not like we are [expletive] hiring you for a [expletive] hourly wage job. Come in here and be [expletive] smart and show some [expletive] personality."
The interview phase was anti-climactic. First, due to privacy issues, Spike TV does not allow reporters into the interview chamber. Second, fighters will not know for at least a week whether they will be invited to the second interview stage in Las Vegas.
"They asked about the scar on my head and then I told them about my other scars," Eric Poling (1-2) said. "That took a good four minutes."
The 24-year-old from Andalusia, Ill., played football at Iowa Wesleyan.
"I had them laughing so I feel like I nailed it," Poling said. "I let them know who I was."
By the time they reached the interview stage, fighters were relaxed. The anxiety of the morning had faded into a sense of - at least temporary - victory. They had all survived the harsh moment at the end of each session when Richter read the names advancing to the next stage. Even apparent locks like Jones, Richards and Stark were tense as the pile grew smaller. Notably, Goodman did not make the first cut.
Chiappe, 30, jerked in place and grimaced as his group's pile dwindled.
"I was waiting to hear my name called and I could see my chances were getting smaller," Chiappe said. "They said 'Ryan' and paused, but it was a different last name.
"I thought I had made it through to the next round."
The long ride home
Like many of his disappointed peers, Chiappe got a moment with Silva after the grappling stage. Silva answered all their inquiries with respect and incredible patience.
"I felt you were a little too small for the weight class," the matchmaker told Chiappe.
Chiappe admitted Silva was right. He checked in as a middleweight Monday, but will fight as a welterweight Saturday at the King of the Cage in Calgary, Alberta.
"I know it's really tough for these guys," Silva said. "If you are a world-class judo guy, you might not be able to show much in two minutes of grappling off your knees. A lot of it depends on style too. Maybe you get two guys whose styles cancel out and they can't show what they can do.
"You see guys that come a long way for this and I feel bad for them."
Fighters took the rejection in different ways. Some sought solitude in the hotel bar or simply left. Surprisingly, most took the rejection in stride.
Roger Carroll (3-0) flew in from North Carolina. A brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the 26-year-old looked good during his grappling session but did not make the first cut.
"I run a school full-time, so I'll get back on a plane tonight at 11:30 p.m. and be at work tomorrow," Carroll said. "It's an honor to be here and to see [fighters] I have competed against get selected. I'm not upset at all.
"The way I look at it, I'm doing what I love everyday, so it's OK if I didn't make [the show]."
