THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® LIVE ON FX BEGINS SEMIFINALS WITH “REALITY CHECK”

Tomorrow/Friday, May 25, LIVE on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT

The Ultimate Fighter^® Live on FX will stage two semifinal fights tomorrow/Friday, live on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

In the first one, James Vick (4-0), of Fort Worth, Texas, meets Michael Chiesa (7-0), of Spokane Valley, Wash. Vinc Pichel (7-0), of Sherman Oaks, Calif., will then meet Al Iaquinta (5-1-1), of Wantagh, N.Y., in the other.

Below is a description of the upcoming “REALITY CHECK” episode:

“Tickle and Cruickshank get violent in the house. Dana makes a surprise announcement. Teams Cruz and Faber go to war for a spot in the Finale, as Vick takes on Chiesa and Pichel faces Iaquinta in the last 2 Semifinal fights.”

The semifinal winners will square-off when the 13-week season comes to a head with a three-hour finale on June 1 at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms in Las Vegas. That winner will be crowned The Ultimate Fighter^® Live champion.

LAST SHOT AT REDEMPTION: ELIMINATED CONTESTANTS OF THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® LIVE ON FX TO PARTICIPATE IN JUNE 1 FINALE

Semifinals this Friday on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT

LAS VEGAS (May 24, 2012) – UFC President Dana White made it official this week, announcing that all but two of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER^® LIVE fighters, pending commission approval after the semifinals, will get one more opportunity for redemption and appear on national television during the three-hour season finale on FX, Friday, June 1, from the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms in Las Vegas.

In addition, the winners of the semifinal bouts this Friday, May 25, live on FX (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) between James Vick (4-0), of Fort Worth, Texas, and Michael Chiesa 7-0), ofSpokane Valley, Wash., and Vinc Pichel (7-0), of Sherman Oaks, Calif., and Al Iaquinta (5-1-1), Wantagh, N.Y., will clash in the final fight of the season to crown the ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE winner. The winner will earn a lucrative contract from the UFC and a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Confirmed June 1 matchups include: Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz., vs. Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.; Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash., vs. Cristiano Marcello, Curitiba, Brazil; Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill., vs. Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.; Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif., vs. Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.; and Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo., vs. John Cofer, Hull, Ga.

Regretfully, two of the fighters who have spent the last three months in the TUF House will be unable to participate in the season finale on FX. Mike Rio, of Miami, Fla., suffered a rib injury in training whileAndy Ogle was medically suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after being knocked out by Iaquinta in the quarterfinals. 

Not surprisingly, the House was buzzing with excitement after the fighters learned they would be getting another shot on FX. Here’s what they had to say:

Jeremy Larsen

“I'm super thrilled about fighting Proctor. He's a tough guy who likes to fight, and that's what I like to do. I think we're going to go out there and put on a fantastic show for the fans."

Joe Proctor

"Train hard. Win easy. It's time for a war!”

Sam Sicilia

“I think this is a huge opportunity for me. He's a legend. We'll see if I belong in the UFC right now or not.”

Cristiano Marcello

“It's a great opportunity. He's a great opponent. Let's do what we need to do.”

Chris Tickle

“It's going to be a great fight, fast-paced and I'm ready to bang.”

Daron Cruickshank

“Hands up. Chin down. Let's bang. It's play time.”

Myles Jury

“I think it's a tough fight, but it's just another chance for me to live my dream."

Chris Saunders

“I’m looking forward to this test. It should be a good fight. Tune in!”

Justin Lawrence

“I think it's a good matchup for me. I think I'm more well-rounded. This is a huge opportunity and me and I'm not going to let it slip through my fingers."

John Cofer

“I’m excited for this fight and the chance at redemption after my last loss on the show. More importantly, though, is winning and landing a job fighting in the UFC.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to catch behind the scenes action by following the fighters on Facebook and Twitter. Find all these links and more on www.ultimatefighter.com.

Photo credits: Zuffa LLC

About Ultimate Fighting Championship^®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Torontoand Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This includes the longest-running sports reality show on television,The Ultimate Fighter^®, which now air on FX in an exciting new live format.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions and in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in Quebec through Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed^® video game franchise distributed by THQ, UFC GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® LIVE ON FX CONTINUES WITH “WEATHER THE STORM”

TEAM FABER’S JOHN COFER vs. TEAM CRUZ’S VINC PICHEL

Friday, April 20, LIVE on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT

The Ultimate Fighter® Live on FX continues tomorrow/Friday, live on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast) when Team Faber’s John Cofer (7-1), of Hull, Ga., takes on Team Cruz’s Vinc Pichel (7-0), of Sherman Oaks, Calif., for a spot in the quarterfinals.

With Team Faber’s Joe Proctor notching a victory over Team Cruz’s Chris Tickle last week, Faber’s squad now leads that of his bitter rival 3-2. Down 0-2 at one point, Team Faber has won three in a row.

Below is a description of the upcoming “Weather the Storm” episode:

“Cruz gives Chris Tickle an earful following his loss. After Faber comes to his defense, the coaches get into a heated exchange. With the tensions at the house taking a toll on him, Andy Ogle has an emotional breakdown during practice. Then Vinc Pichel and John Cofer face off in the sixth preliminary fight.”

Cofer and Pichel are looking to move into the quarterfinals along with previous winners James Vick, Justin Lawrence, Al Iaquinta, Michael Chiesa and Proctor.

The 13-week season will culminate with a championship fight and three-hour finale on June 1 at the Pearl Palms Concert Theater in Las Vegas. The coaches will then meet on July 7 at UFC 148, when Cruz defends his title against Faber in the rubber match of their epic rivalry.

Below are select quotes from Cofer and Pichel. Please let us know if you’d like to have the fighters answer any more questions.

JOHN COFER:
Through five weeks, it has been a season of streaks. Team Cruz won the first two, Team Faber the last three? What's the mood of your team, and how has it changed, etc?

“The mood throughout the season has been pretty good, even when we were down, we never felt like we were out. It is an individual sport but when your teammates win, it boosts moral. For the most part, I think we've done really well cohesively to stay positive.”

Do you feel pressure to keep the streak going?

“There's pressure, but it's not from wanting to keep a win streak going. There's pressure from wanting myself to move onto the next round. I also want to win to try and help my teammates get their next pick in the last two fights. So there's some pressure either way.”

What is your mood going into the fight and what do you have to do to win? Is it important just to win, or do you want to win impressively?

“I'm definitely happy to be fighting, I'm glad that my time is now. I'm confident and feel like it's my fight to win. I just have to fight, push the pace, not get desperate, be patient and if there's an opportunity to finish him with a [submission] or if I end up getting a knockout, great. If not, then I just need to continue to push that pace through the 10 minutes.”

How difficult is it to sit and watch during the weeks you weren't fighting? Is it a relief to actually be fighting?
“I wouldn't really say it was difficult to sit and watch. There's always that monkey on your back to get out there and do it yourself. I'm sure once you actually go in there and win it's actually quite a relief. I'm anticipating having that relief!”

Is there anything that's happened in the first five weeks that's surprised you?

“Not really [laugh]. I'm really enjoying my time here. It's definitely a blessing and I'm thankful to have this opportunity. That doesn't mean I don't miss home and I'm not ready to go home but at the same time I'm here to do work and I'm here for a purpose. I'm thankful not just to be here but to have this opportunity, and hopefully I'll make the best of it.”

VINC PICHEL:

Through five weeks, it has been a season of streaks. Team Cruz won the first two, Team Faber the last three? What's the mood of your team, and how has it changed, etc?

“The mood on our team hasn't really changed too much. We're definitely a little bummed that we lost the last three, but in fighting you win some and you lose some. We're not dwelling on it; we're looking ahead and focusing on the next fight. It's one fight at a time. It does bother us but we're not letting it drag us down. We're concentrating on our training and what we have to do to get the hammer back.”

Do you feel pressure to reverse the trend?

“Enormous pressure [laugh]. We had it in our minds that we were going to sweep these guys. Then they came back and won the last three fights and surprised the hell out of us. You know in the back of your head that you could lose a fight, it's always there. It actually happening though kind of 'kicks you in the pants' you could say. There is a lot of pressure on me to get the hammer back and to win a fight for us. I'm trying not to think about it and just to think about my fight that's ahead of me.”

What is your mood going into the fight and what do you have to do to win? Is it important just to win, or do you want to win impressively?

“I'm extremely focused. I feel really good. What I have to do to win is honestly just finish him, either knock him out or submit him. I'm not looking to let the judges decide my fate, I never have and I never will. I'm going to go out there and win or get knocked out trying. That's the way I see it.”

How difficult is it to sit and watch during the weeks you weren't fighting? Is it a relief to actually be fighting?
“It's very difficult to sit and watch people fight. You watch your teammates fight and you see things while they're fighting that you don't see when you're in there. That's why you have coaches, because they see what you don't. That's why they're in the corner yelling stuff at you because they see what's open. I feel the same way when I'm watching my teammates. When they win, it's great and you're winning with them. When they lose, you feel like crap because you lose with them. It feels good and it hurts at the same time.”

Is there anything that's happened in the first five weeks that's surprised you?

“What I have been surprised about is the pranks. There hasn't been that many… yet. Just little stuff like that. It has been a great experience and I can't wait to add a win to that.”