NEWARK, N.J. — Aaron Meisner doesn’t really consider himself a “reality TV guy,” but here he is, auditioning for the seventh season of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter.”
“I’m just gonna be myself,” says Meisner, 29, who drove up from Philadelphia for last week’s open casting call. “There’s nothing too outrageous about me. I think they look for different types of personalities. I think they always look for people who clash, but maybe they look for normal people, too.”
He’s being modest. He’s not normal, unless you consider having a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader for a girlfriend and being a full-time fighter versed in boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian jujitsu normal.
“The Ultimate Fighter,” currently airing its sixth season on Spike TV, pits voyeuristic, testosterone-fueled drama alongside mixed-martial-arts action. It’s become the fastest method for fighters to become Ultimate Fighting Championship superstars and, well, reality TV guys.
Past contestants have gone on to win title belts and nutritional supplement sponsorship deals.
The current season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” featuring coaches Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, will conclude with a live match between finalists at The Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Dec. 8.
Three weeks ago, Meisner was asked by producers to attend the one-and-only audition for the seventh season of the competition, which will bestow a middleweight fighter with a six-figure, multifight contract with the UFC.
For the past four years, Meisner has fully dedicated himself to becoming a mixed-martial-arts fighter, working as a personal trainer on the side to pay the bills. But Meisner can’t really explain why he’s so passionate about fighting.
“It’s fun to punch people in the face,” he says.
These “Ultimate Fighter” tryouts don’t resemble any “American Idol” or “Apprentice” audition. There are no people dressed in costume, no women and no line around the building. Most of the 149 UFC wannabes, like Meisner, are simply sprawled out on the floor outside a ballroom at the Hilton Newark Airport waiting for their number to be called.
After a few hours of waiting and warming up, it’s Meisner’s turn.
During the first round, paired-up participants grapple on a large mat on the floor in front of a panel of judges, including UFC president Dana White, “Ultimate Fighter” executive producer Craig Piligian and Spike TV senior vice president of sports and specials Brian J. Diamond.
The rules are simple: No elbows. No slamming. No can opening — whatever that means.
“I did what I wanted to do. Stayed defensive,” Meisner says after his one minute in front of the panel.
He was hesitant about only showing off his floor work at first, but it was good enough for Meisner to earn entree to the second round.
Of the 149 men who showed up to audition, about 20 will join candidates who submitted tapes or were recommended by current UFC fighters for a final audition in Las Vegas. Then, 16 will be selected to have their lives taped while they train, live and fight together.
