When the UFC joined ESPN earlier this year, one program that has yet to make the transition is the UFC Ultimate Fighter.
That may not be the case for long because UFC President Dana White says that he is working on bringing the reality show back.
“[Craig] Piligian and I are working on “The Ultimate Fighter” right now,” White revealed during a media scrum last Tuesday (via Damon Martin of MMA Fighting). “We’ll figure [the timeline for the return] tonight. They’re waiting for me for dinner right now.”
The UFC Ultimate Fighter 28 was the last season of the reality show to air, which featured Macy Chiasson and Juan Espino as the seasons champions.
White believes that fighters who compete on the UFC Ultimate Fighter will go through the best training possible.
“We’re going to switch some things around, do some things different but I truly believe that “The Ultimate Fighter” is so key in building young talent,” White said. “This show is fun and guys come in but what they have to go through with cameras in their face 24/7, being away from home, being away from their families and all the bulls—t, hardcore training everyday with these dream camps that are f—king built, cutting weight, staying on weight, you’ll never go through anything harder than “The Ultimate Fighter”. So if you can make it through “The Ultimate Fighter” and actually win it, if you go back throughout history and look at “The Ultimate Fighter” and the fighters that have come off their, it is just the greatest training ground ever for up and coming fighters. It can’t go away ever.”
There is no word at this time as to whether or not the reality show will air on ESPN or stream live on ESPN+ when/if it does return.
