The Ultimate Fighter, which still airs, returns in a few months. The show will introduce the women’s 125 lb weight class, with a champion being crowned at the TUF Finale. Of course, before we to the finale, we have a few months of TV featuring these lovely ladies of violence.
Helping the female flyweight’s train and fight will be their coaches: Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje.
Both men are amongst the most exciting and talented fighters at 155 lbs and have personalities that will absolutely mean nothing to the show. Nothing will mean anything to the show. Because no one will ever give a fuck about the show ever again. I mean, maybe I’ll watch some of it, because of the novelty of women who weigh a certain weight fighting – but probably not much. Because, again, NO ONE CARES.
Women have been an important part of the UFC since Ronda Rousey helped usher in Fighting Vaginas and while having 125 lb ladies as a division is fine – I guess – it’s just another belt. Another belt that will probably have an interim label attached to it within 2 years.
I don’t have a lot else to write, so instead I’ll C&P the press release for those of you who want to read it.
Las Vegas – For the second time in series history, the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter® will introduce a new weight class and crown a new champion. At the helm, will be two of the sports’ best and most exhilarating athletes when No. 3 lightweight Eddie Alvarez and No. 6 Justin Gaethje assume the coaching responsibilities for The Ultimate Fighter®: A New World Champion.
Alvarez and Gaethje will lead 16 flyweight women throughout the season and lead them to a shot at UFC® gold, with the winner of season 26 becoming the inaugural women’s 125-pound champion. Season 20 saw Carla Esparza emerge victorious earning the strawweight world title via third-round submission over Rose Namajunas. The Ultimate Fighter remains the highest rated and most watched original show on FS1 and will premiere Wednesday, August 30 at 10 p.m. ET.
Former UFC champion Alvarez (28-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) has held a title in nearly every promotion he’s ever competed in and will utilize that world-class pedigree to groom a champion in the UFC’s 12th weight class. He has 22 finishes – 17 knockouts and five submissions – in his 28 professional wins and packs one of the most powerful punches in the 155-pound division.
After making an impression in his promotional debut during International Fight Week™ with a second-round knockout of No. 5 Michael Johnson, Gaethje (18-0, fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) will set his sights on coaching the next world champion in route to taking another step toward becoming a champion himself. With 15 knockouts and one submission to his credit, Gaethje has become must-watch television every time he competes and will no doubt try to pass his highlight reel moves on to the ladies he’s coaching.
Isn’t that exciting? Don’t you feel as if your life is better now?
About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader, WME | IMG, together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 163 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 35 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; FOX Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.
About Pilgrim Media Group
Pilgrim Media Group produces a wide variety of unscripted programming for television, including The Ultimate Fighter for FOX Sports 1; Fast N’ Loud, Street Outlaws, Misfit Garage and The Wheel for Discovery; My Big Fat Fabulous Life for TLC; Ghost Brothers for Destination America; two-time NAACP Award-winner Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s for OWN; Bring It! for Lifetime; David Tutera’s CELEBrations for WE tv; Wicked Tuna and Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks for National Geographic; and Zombie House Flipping for FYI. Pilgrim also produced OWN’s award-winning documentary series, Lindsay, and the network’s original documentary special, Michael Sam. The company also has inked several deals to create and distribute original esports entertainment content for television and digital platforms, including partnerships with ESL and Microsoft’s 343 Industries for Halo 5: Guardians. In the scripted realm, Pilgrim produced Freeform series Recovery Road and original movies for Lifetime includingAmanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy; Abducted: The Carlina White Story, which earned a 2012 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing In A Motion Picture; and the crime thriller Stalkers. Pilgrim recently wrapped an urban agriculture-based feature documentary that is currently screening at various festivals. For more, visit pilgrimstudios.com.
And now you know more about the UFC and its partners. GOODIE!
