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The seventh installment of "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFC's hit reality series that launched the organization into mainstream success, kicks off Wednesday, April 2, with one of the more intriguing seasons to date.

In preparation for the premiere, which follows a live broadcast of UFC Fight Night 13, we'll take a look at some questions that should be answered this season.

• Will the show feel any different? In recent seasons, "TUF" has begun to feel and look a little too familiar. The formula has become predictable.

• How will the UFC vets fare?

Steve Byrnes (6-1) fought in the UFC in 2006, and David Roberts (5-7) got some octagon time way back in 1999. Will that experience prove helpful on the show?

• Will the local guys impress?

Among the local fighters, Luke Zachrich (7-1) is the most likely to succeed in the competition. Matt Brown (7-6) and Prince Mclean (4-5) will look to impress as underdogs.

• How will the new format play out? Will the flurry of fights build some early interest? The season will begin with 32 fighters instead of 16, and every fighter will have to win a bout to earn a spot on the cast.

• Can the coaches display a real rivalry? Can the two usually comedic coaches build some tension for their upcoming July 5 fight? Coaches Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Forrest Griffin aren't exactly friends, but what feels like indifference has replaced any type of rivalry.

• What happened to Paul Bradley?

Why would cast member Bradley (5-0), an All-American wrestler and top MMA prospect, sign with a rival organization (EliteXC) before the show even aired — especially when the UFC usually locks up its cast members with exclusive contracts?

• Why were some cast members summoned back to Las Vegas and into seclusion this week? Why would the fighters be forced back into production when the show wrapped a month ago?

• Which fighters will define the season or will be the breakout star? Just about every season of "TUF" has one or two standout fighters. We got Joe Stevenson and Rashad Evans in season two, Matt Serra in season four, and Mac Danzig in season six.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, a content-partner site of Yahoo! Sports. For exclusive blogs from "The Ultimate Fighter" cast members, check out www.mmajunkie.com.