UFC Announces the Return of 'The Ultimate Fighter'
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced the return of its reality sports show "The Ultimate Fighter" in a new season and new home.
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"The Ultimate Fighter" is one of the most-watched reality sports show in the world. It has been nearly two years since its last season, which was last aired in 2018 on Fox Sports. It left many martial arts fans wondering when they will see their favorite show again.
Finally, after two years, the wait is over, and the fans will see their favorite reality sports show once again.
The UFC has announced on its website that "The Ultimate Fighter" will return in March 2021 and be aired exclusively on its new home ESPN+.
The previous season of the "The Ultimate Fighter" focused on "heavy hitters." According to a published report in MSN, the new series will keep its niche, and the 29th series will be the incarnation of the previous series.
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The 29th season competitors will include and feature men in the bantamweight that weighs 135 pounds and middleweight, weighing 185 pounds. It will be an exciting series as "The Ultimate Fighter" has expanded its new series.
The casting of the new series is currently open while the coaches are yet to be decided. In the official press release of UFC, casting will be done remotely and this is the first time also that UFC will not have a physical tryout will not be part of the process due to the global pandemic.
It is expected that the finalists for the new series will be chosen before the month ends. Additionally, the UFC has also posted on its website who qualifies in the new series and the procedure of the application.
Part of the requirement is that the contestant should be a U.S. citizen whose age is between 21 to 34. It is also important to note that a minimum winning record of three professional MMA fights is required.
The UFC also announced that ESPN+ will be the new home of not only the 29th or new series but also the previous 28 series of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' Additionally, the timing of the other 28 series is still to be discussed and scheduled.
'The Ultimate Fighter' initially broadcasted on Spike TV in 2005 before the management decided to move to different networks until they landed FOX Networks in 2012. The real-life series produced some of the biggest names in the history of UFC.
Some of them were Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Nate Diaz, and Forrest Griffin. The show also became an avenue for those who want to raise their profile either as guests or coaches. However, when the ratings started to decline, they ultimately decided to stop the show.
UFC President Dana White said that they offered the coaching roles to lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. However, McGregor was pulled out because of the grievances he went publicly