The Ultimate Fighter: Philippines Edition Targeted for 2012

Quote :

UFC president Dana White is still hanging "TUF" with the Philippines, but his promotion is not quite there in mounting its first international version of the reality show.

"We're like one piece away from finishing the thing," White told reporters following UFC 130, which took place this past Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

That piece, however, could be the start of a much more ambitious drive to create a world grand prix of international competitors on "The Ultimate Fighter," he added.

White is a huge fan of the grand prix tournaments of the now-defunct PRIDE, which the UFC purchased in 2007, and he's taken quite a liking to soccer since the 2010 FIFA World Cup, even going so far as to issue a joking ban to the vuvuzelas that filled South African arenas to the annoyance of many.

An international "TUF" tournament could not only crown the best up-and-comer from beyond U.S. borders, but perhaps heighten interest from fans that want to cheer on their respective countries.

"It's like the World Cup of 'TUF,'" White said. "Dude, if we can nail that one, that's my dream."

A date has yet to be locked down for the Philippines-based season of the reality show. White has previously pointed to Canada and the Middle East as two front runners for international locales, but the Southest Asian country took center stage this past February.

Back in 2008, UFC officials announced plans to host an event in the Philippines in mid-2009, and an open workout with Chuck Liddell drew more than 4,000 fans. Brandon Vera, whose father is Filipino, also held one of his own that drew 10,000 attendees.

The plans for an event in the country, which has a population of approximately 92 million, ultimately were scrapped due to the global financial crisis.

"TUF," which launched in 2005 on Spike TV, ends its 13th season this Saturday with The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in Las Vegas.

Spike TV is unlikely to air the international editions of the reality show, but White said episodes could be hosted online.

"Technology is our friend," he said. "It keeps getting better and better."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/23800/philippines-now-likely-to-host-first-international-tuf-ufc-eyeing-future-world-grand-prix.mma

So now TUF is going to lame down GP's too?

fuckin great

Who doesn't love gp's?

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/9/20/2437285/the-ultimate-fighter-philippines-edition-targeted-for-2012

Several months ago, Dana White has announced that plans are in the workss for hosting international editions of the popular reality show, The Ultimate Fighter. Their global expansion has taken a bit longer than he expected, but it looks like it's finally pushing through.

Officials from ABS-CBN, the parent company of Balls Channel which handles UFC programming in the Philippines, have informed BloodyElbow.com that the first international edition of the reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, is close to being finalized. This has been in the works for quite some time now, and we have been told that it is expected to be launched on 2012.

Details from 'TUF Philippines' such as coaches, participants, weight divisions, and prizes, are still being ironed out, but it is expected to be officially announced soon. Jon Jones' trip to the country has been finalized, and is reportedly set up to not only talk about the UFC and MMA in general, but to help promote TUF Philippines as well.

As for the cast, the Philippines' top MMA promotion, the URCC, would be an obvious choice to help them stock up on talented fighters for the reality show. They routinely produce some of the best talent in the continent, with fighters such as Eduard Folayang, Eric Kelly, and Kevin Belingon among the many stars doing well in the Asian circuit.

Things can still change as the details get finalized, but as of this writing, URCC officials have informed us that the UFC has yet to contact them about using their talent for TUF.

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.