THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® ON FX WINS BY WAY OF KNOCKOUT

TUF^™ 17 Finale Scores 1.71 Million Total Viewers and 1.16 Million Adults 18-49

Marking Series Highs for FX

FX Was the #1 Network in All of Television Saturday Night in Men 18-34 and #2 in Men 18-49

Finale Was TV’s Most-Watched Show in Men 18-34 in Primetime on Saturday Night

The Ultimate Fighter 17 was FX’s Highest-Rated Season

as TUF Officially Moves to FOX Sports 1 on September 4

LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2013 – The Ultimate Fighter^® went out on top, as FX’s last telecast of the series (4/13/2013) scored FX series highs in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, while the entire 17^thinstallment was FX’s highest-rated of the series.

The TUF^™  17 finale, which saw Kelvin Gastelum named “The Ultimate Fighter” with a split decision upset win over heavily favored Uriah Hall, scored 1.71 million Total Viewers and 1.16 Million Adults 18-49, marking series highs for FX.  For the night, FX ranked #1 in Men 18-34 outright, beating all broadcast and cable networks, while Men 18-49 was the highest-rated in basic cable and second highest-rated overall, behind only FOX which aired NASCAR.  

The finale was the most-watched show in all of television in Men 18-34 in primetime on Saturday night, and second most-watched among M18-49, behind only NASCAR on FOX. 

Men 18-49, Adults 18-34, Men 18-34, Adults 25-54, Men 25-54 and Women 25-54 also scored series highs.  The 17^th season as a whole averaged 1.32 million Total Viewers and 921,000 Adults 18-49, increases of +45% and +41%, respectively, vs. TUF 16.

The Ultimate Fighter will move to FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports’ newly minted multi-sport national cable channel, when it returns in September. The next installment, featuring UFC^® women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Cat Zingano as coaches, also moves to Wednesday evening at 10:00 PM ET. FS1 launches Saturday, Aug. 17 and season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter premieres Wednesday, Sept. 4 (10:00 PM ET).

“This was a great way to end The Ultimate Fighter’s run on FX,” said Chuck Saftler, Executive Vice President, FX Networks.  “I want to thank Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta as well as Craig Piligian on three amazing seasons of the series.  I wish them all nothing but the best in their move to FOX Sports 1.” 

The 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 (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, 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 also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter^®.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 30 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via 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, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

About FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 98 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series, including Sons of Anarchy, Justified, The Americans, and the upcoming drama series The Bridge (July 2013); the miniseries American Horror Story; and the acclaimed hit comedy series Louie, Archer and  Wilfred. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX's roster of acquired hit series includes Two and a Half Men, Anger Management and, coming in 2014, Mike & Molly.

Don't Miss An All-New Episode of The Ultimate Fighter Tonight

Josh and Tor Collide On An All-New Episode of The Ultimate Fighter Tonight on FX
Team Sonnen's Tor Troeng looks to keep his squad's momentum going against Team Jones' own Josh Samman - don't miss an all-new episode of The Ultimate Fighter at 9pm ET/PT on FX

Team Jones or Team Sonnen? Make Your TUF Tournament Fantasy Picks Now
Josh or Tor? Make your picks today for a chance to win!

UFC on FUEL TV: Silva vs Stann on FUEL TV - Sat. March 2 - Tokyo, Japan UFC 158: St-Pierre vs Diaz on Pay-Per-View - Sat. March 16 - Montreal, Canada

UFC Primetime Rousey vs Carmouche Premieres Tonight

UFC Primetime: Rousey vs Carmouche Premieres Tonight Get closer than ever before as women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Liz Carmouche prepare for their showdown in Anaheim on February 23rd! Go behind the scenes on UFC Primetime: Rousey vs Carmouche, premiering tonight at 12am ET / 9pm PT on FUEL TV. Catch the replay on FOX Sports Networks. Check your local listings for showtimes. Team Jones or Team Sonnen? Make Your TUF Fantasy Picks Now Team Sonnen looks to continue their hot streak as their own Kevin Casey takes on Team Jones' Collin Hart this Tuesday on FX! Make your Fantasy picks now!

UFC on FUEL TV: Barao vs McDonald on FUEL TV - Sat. February 16 - London, England UFC 157: Rousey vs Carmouche on Pay-Per-View - Sat. February 23 - Anaheim, CA

FX SUBMITS COMPETITION

UFC on FX 7 and Iron Man 2 Propel Network To #1 Most-Watched Television Network on

Saturday Night (Broadcast and Cable) in Adults 18-49 and All Male Demos

UFC on FX 7 Was the Most-Watched UFC Event in FX History

Latest Edition of The Ultimate Fighter^® Debuts on its New Night to FX Series Highs in

Several Key Demos Including Adults 18-49, Men 18-49 and Total Viewers

LOS ANGELES, January 23, 2013 – MMA fans and Tony Stark make a great combination, as both helped propel FX to the #1 most-watched television network (broadcast and cable) on Saturday night (1/19) in Adults 18-49 and all male demos.  Additionally, the latest installment of The Ultimate Fighter^® debuted on Tuesday night (1/22) in its new timeslot to FX series highs in Adults 18-49, Men 18-49 and Total Viewers.

UFC on FX 7 (9-11 PM E/P), which in the main event saw Vitor Belfort defeat Michael Bisping by TKO in the second round, was the most-watched UFC event on FX ever, setting highs in Total Viewers (1.86 million), and in all Adult and Men demos, including Adults 18-49 (1.32 million) and Men 18-49 (985,000). UFC on FX 7 ranked #1 on in all of television (broadcast and cable) in its time period in Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and in all male demos.

UFC on FX 7 and Iron Man 2 made FX the #1 most-watched network in all of television on Saturday night in Adults 18-49 and all male demos. 

The Ultimate Fighter on FX season three on its new night (Tuesdays) saw gains across the board.  The special two-hour season premiere (1/22/13, 8-10 PM E/P) bowed to FX series highs in several key demos, including Adults 18-49 (1.03 million), Men 18-49 (677,000) and Total Viewers (1.51 million).  Compared to the prior two season averages on FX, which aired Friday nights, TUF on FX season 3 opened +59% ahead of season 2 and +36% ahead of season 1 in Adults 18-49, and +66% ahead of season 2 and +46% ahead of season 1 in Total Viewers.  Numbers based on Fast Nationals, subject to change.

Episode 2, "Ambush,” airs next Tuesday (1/29) at its regularly scheduled timeslot of 9:00 PM E/P.  Fourteen victorious middleweights move into the house, and training begins.  Gilbert Smith gets emotional after his team shows serious doubts about his readiness.  Then Smith faces Luke Barnatt in the first preliminary fight. 

About FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in nearly 98 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas seriesSons of Anarchy and Justified; the miniseries American Horror Story: Asylum; the upcoming drama series The Americans;the acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, Legit, BrandX with Russell Brand and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX's other offerings include the acquired hit series Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother, and live sports with UFC and NCAA football.

FIELD FINALIZED FOR THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® ON FXFIELD FINALIZED FOR THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® ON FX

TUF™ Moves to Tuesday Nights

Season Begins With Special Two-Hour Premiere

Tuesday, January 22 on FX at 8 P.M. ET/PT 

UFC^® Champion Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and Title Challenger Chael Sonnen

To Coach Seven-Man Teams of Middleweights  

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 9, 2013) – Tuesdays just got TUF™. On January 22, some of the world’s most talented and determined mixed martial artists will face-off in the most grueling sports tournament on television. Watch as 28 mixed martial arts prospects battle for a coveted spot on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter^®, which begins with a special two-hour premiere airing at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FX. 

The Ultimate Fighter, the Ultimate Fighting Championship^®’s long-running reality television series, will run for 13 weeks and will culminate in a three-hour finale, live from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Unlike previous seasons on FX, the one-hour broadcast will now be shown on Tuesday nights at its new regularly scheduled timeslot of 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The 14 successful combatants will be divided into two teams, which will be coached by two of the fiercest rivals in all of sport. UFC^® light heavyweight champion and MMA superstar, Jon “Bones” Jones will captain one team, while the controversial and charismatic challenger Chael Sonnen will lead the second team into battle in this, the 17^th installment of the series. 

The coaches will then collide for the light heavyweight title on Saturday, April 27, at UFC^® 159: JONES vs. SONNEN at thePrudential Center in Newark, N.J. 

Not surprisingly, both Jones and Sonnen will be bringing their trademark self-confidence into their stints as coaches this season on The Ultimate Fighter.

“I thought it would be a good way to share myself with the sport of MMA,” Jones said. “I embrace the role.”

Said Sonnen: “The hottest show on FX is being graced with the greatest talent God ever made: Chael P. Sonnen.’’

  

The list of finalists in the middleweight (185 pounds) division was trimmed from more than 250 applicant athletes. The fighters - all seeking the opportunity of a lifetime and a six-figure contract from the Ultimate Fighting Championship - hail from the United States, Australia, England and Sweden. 

“The quality of guys we have this season in unbelievable,” said UFC President Dana White. “From the fights to get into the house, to every single fight this season, I think the talent is some of the best I’ve ever seen on this show. We’re going to end up with some really good guys in the 185-pound division.”

“The production value has increased, the talent level is at an all-time high, and we have two of the most dynamic personalities in all of the UFC as our coaches,” said Chuck Saftler, EVP of FX Networks. “I’m extremely excited about this season of The Ultimate Fighter and truly believe this could be the show’s best season yet.”

On Jan. 22, the season will launch with 14 gripping elimination scraps. Those victorious in the opening round, or “Fight In”, become official cast members and earn their place in The Ultimate Fighter house in Las Vegas. The winners will be drafted into opposing teams of seven by Jones and Sonnen. Thereafter, cameras will document their activity before and after their training and fights during the season. 

Each episode’s winners will advance in the single-elimination tournament until one is crowned The Ultimate Fighter.

The competitors are:

Dylan Andrews (16-4-1), 32, Gold Coast, AUS	Jake Heun (3-2), 25, Salt Lake City, Utah
Hito Andrews (9-2), 34, Sacramento, Calif.	Nicholas Hohring (3-0), 22, Valley Springs, Calif.
Luke Barnatt (5-0), 24, Cambridge, ENG	Mike Jaspar (6-0), 29, Camarillo, Calif.
Leo Bercier (7-2), 31, Great Falls, Montana	Bubba McDaniel (20-6), 29, Albuquerque, N.M.
Ryan Lee Q. Bigler (9-3), 28, Guam	Frasier Opie (10-5), 25, Milton Keynes, ENG
Kevin Casey (5-2), 31, Hawthorne, Calif.	Frederick Persons (3-0), 28, Stockton, Calif.
Adam Cella (4-0), 27, Fenton, Mo.	Jimmy Quinlan (3-0), 26, Metheun, Mass.
Zach Cummings (15-3), 28, Kansas City, Mo.	Scott Rosa (4-1), 27, Sparks, Nev.
Andy Enz, (6-1), 21, Anchorage, Alaska	Josh Samman (9-2), 24, Tallahassee, Fla.
Nik Fehete (5-1), 32, Las Vegas, Nev.	Gilbert Smith (5-1), 30, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Kelvin Gastelum (5-0), 20, Yuma, Ariz.	Eldon Sproat (3-1), 27, Molohai, Hawaii
Uriah Hall (7-2), 28, New York City, N.Y.	Tor Troeng (15-4-1), 29, Umea, SWE
Collin Hart (4-1-1), 23, Santa Rosa, Calif.	Eric Wahlin (5-1), 29, Taylorsville, Utah
Clint Hester (7-3), 24, Atlanta, Ga.	Timothy Williams (7-1), 26, Millville, N.J.

Many of today’s most recognizable names in the UFC have emerged from the TUF™ series, including, among many others, Forrest Griffin, Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, and Michael Bisping. 

Tune-in and watch who will become the next THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER on FX!

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter under our new name @TUFonFX or on Facebook.com/TUF. 

The 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 (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, 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 also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter^®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 30 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via 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, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^®festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 98 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series Sons of Anarchy and Justified; the miniseries American Horror Story: Asylum; the upcoming drama seriesThe Americans; the acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, BrandX with Russell Brand, and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell; and the upcoming comedy Legit. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX's other offerings include the acquired hit series Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother, and live sports with UFC and NCAA football.