Cruz, Faber to coach 'TUF' debut on FX
"The Ultimate Fighter" will make its debut on FX in March with a new format and champion-level coaches.
"The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" will debut March 9 on FX with a two-hour season premiere at 9 p.m. ET and will then air one-hour shows the next 13 weeks at 10 p.m. ET every Friday. Serving as coaches this season will be current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.
"The Ultimate Fighter" pits UFC hopefuls against each other as they compete for a six-figure contract with the promotion. The upcoming season will see two fighters get contracts, one a bantamweight and the other a lightweight.
“We’re producing ground-breaking television with 'The Ultimate Fighter LIVE' and we can’t wait to kick this season off with FX in March,” UFC president Dana White said in the release. “It’s going to be can’t-miss TV. Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are two incredible personalities who also happen to be two of the best fighters in the world. They genuinely dislike each other and I expect this to make for the best season yet.”
“We believe that Dana and Lorenzo (Fertitta), along with executive producer Craig Piligian, have come up with exciting new changes to the format of The Ultimate Fighter that will expand and grow the series,” said Chuck Saftler, Executive Vice President, FX Networks. “The fact that the fights at the end of each episode will now be televised live is certain to create a sense of urgency for UFC fans. Furthermore, the move of TUF to Friday nights will provide a great ratings boost to the network.”
Cruz and Faber have a rivalry that dates back to March 2007, when Faber handed Cruz his first and only professional loss in a 145-pound bout. The 26-year-old Cruz avenged that loss this past July, defeating Faber by unanimous decision to retain the UFC bantamweight crown in a "Fight of the Year" candidate. The two will meet in the Octagon one more time in mid-2012 in the "TUF" finale with Cruz's title on the line.
Cruz (19-1 overall) is 9-0 since droppoing to bantamweight in 2008. He's beaten some of the top names in the UFC's lighter divisions, including Faber, Demetrious Johnson, Scott Jorgensen, Joseph Benavidez (twice), and Brian Bowles.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a gym rat and love learning and teaching mixed martial arts,” Cruz, who trains at Alliance MMA in San Diego, said. “This is a dream come true. To get a chance to coach 'TUF' and beat Faber again is all the motivation I need. This is going to be an insane season of 'The Ultimate Fighter.' ”
Faber, known as "The California Kid," held the WEC featherweight title for a span of more than two years from 2006-2008. With wins over the likes of Cruz, Jeff Curran and Jens Pulver at 145-pounds, Faber dropped to his more natural weight class of 135 pounds in November 2010 in search of his second world title. Most recently, Cruz, 32, submitted former champion Bowles at UFC 139.
“I can’t wait to be the next coach on The Ultimate Fighter,” Faber, whose gym in Sacramento has helped produce UFC stars Benavidez, Chad Mendes and Danny Castillo, said. “I am looking forward to mentoring a bunch of hungry and talented fighters. The new cast needs to be ready to work hard and learn! Having Dominick coach on the opposite side couldn’t be more perfect. I’m not too thrilled about being in each other’s space for an extended period of time, as I am sure we are going to get on each other’s nerves. But I can’t wait to mentally beat him up as a coach, and then literally beat him up in the cage and swipe that UFC strap.”
Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter" concluded this past Saturday night in its final broadcast on Spike TV. The finale saw Michael Bisping beat fellow Jason "Mayhem" Miller in a middleweight scrap.
