Sportsnet, Canada’s official home of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, today announced it has secured an agreement with the UFC® for multimedia rights to The Ultimate Fighter Nations™: Canada vs. Australia. The deal includes exclusive Canadian English rights for television, online and mobile for the next international edition ofThe Ultimate Fighter®, which will feature Canada making its first ever appearance in the series.
Debuting in 2014, The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia will feature some of the world’s top welterweight (170 lbs) mixed martial arts prospects. Team Canada will be coached by Rimouski, QC’s Patrick Côté, a nine-year UFC veteran who appeared on The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback in 2006, and was the first Canadian to reach a TUF series final. Kyle Noke, a native of Dubbo, New South Wales, will coach the Australian team. (Broadcast details for The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia will be announced at a later date).
“The Ultimate Fighter is a hugely popular series, and with Canada participating for the first time in this international edition, it will be must-see TV for UFC fans coast to coast,” said Navaid Mansuri, Vice-President, Programming, Sportsnet. “In conjunction with our valued, long-term partner in the UFC, we are proud to bring this highly-anticipated series to Canadians and continue our commitment to delivering premium sports content to our viewers.”
UFC President Dana White’s exclusive announcement regarding The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia:
Tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia will begin in September, with Canada hosting casting opportunities in Toronto. Further details and registration forms will be available as of July 1 athttp://www.ufc.com/TUFNations .
This Fall, Sportsnet will present exclusive Canadian coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 18featuring UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey vs former opponent and long-time rival Miesha Tate, in the first-ever co-ed edition of the show. Broadcast details to be announced at a later date.
