|
Spike TV Looks for a Real Contender in 'The Ultimate Fighter'
Sixteen of America's Most Fearless Athletes Compete To Win a Contract With the
Ultimate Fighting Championship(TM)
Willa Ford To Co-Host New Series Premiering Monday, January 17
NEW YORK, Jan. 6 -- Spike TV has assembled sixteen men from
across North America to determine who has what it takes to earn a contract
with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (R) in The Ultimate Fighter. This new
original series, co-hosted by recording artist and model Willa Ford, premieres
on Monday, January 17 (11:00pm-Midnight) following WWE Monday Night Raw. Craig
Piligian (Co-Executive Producer Survivor I, II and III and Executive Producer
and Creator of American Chopper) serves as Executive Producer.
The competitors in The Ultimate Fighter are not voted off the island,
fired by a CEO, or eliminated in a rose ceremony. Instead, the ones sent home
are those who lose in the Octagon (TM) or sent packing by their coach because
they let the team down.
"Sylvester Stallone may be looking for a Contender, but the UFC is looking
for a Champion," boldly boasts Dana White, President, UFC and Host. "The
Ultimate Fighter goes behind the scenes to see what it takes when 16 hard-core
guys from around the country live, train, and fight together -- all with one
ultimate goal."
"As someone who knows something about 'Survivor', nobody knows more about
survival than these 16 young men," said Craig Piligian. "Viewers will love the
hearts and souls of these guys and how much their lives are placed on hold in
pursuit of this dream."
"Guys have never seen a reality show like this before," said Jim Burns,
Senior Vice President, Sports and Specials, Spike TV. "The curtain will be
lifted on the intense, high action world of the UFC."
The sixteen competitors are all accomplished athletes, disciplined in wide
range of mixed martial arts that include wrestling, boxing, judo, Jiu-Jitsu,
karate and kickboxing. For seven weeks, the competitors were under the strict
supervision of two of the most successful and famous UFC fighters and trainers
-- UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Randy Couture and UFC Light Heavyweight #1
Contender, Chuck Liddell.
Throughout the show, the competitors will also compete in various
challenges. These team and individual challenges are designed to push the
fighters to the edge of their physical and mental capabilities that revolve
around old school training techniques, physical stamina, and mental strategy.
The Ultimate Fighter was taped in Las Vegas where the UFC(R) brand has its
National Training Center.
Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films and Television is the show's creator and
executive producer. Robert Riesenberg, (Executive Producer of NBC's The
Restaurant) of Full Circle Entertainment also serves as executive producer.
Jim Burns is Senior Vice President, Sports & Specials, Spike TV. Peter
Symuleski is Executive in Charge of Production for Spike TV.
With new rules and regulations, the UFC(R), is licensed in various states
including Nevada, Florida, and New Jersey. Along with growing the business,
the UFC is focused on protecting the combatants, and are proud that there has
never been a serious injury or death in the history of the franchise. It is
of interest to note all UFC athletes are highly-trained and many are college-
educated. Sports pedigrees include the Olympics, the Pan American Games and
NCAA Division I All-Americans.
Robert Riesenberg is president and CEO of Full Circle Entertainment, a New
York Company. Full Circle Entertainment is an independent production company
specializing in developing and producing programming that service the
marketing needs of advertisers. Full Circle Entertainment is a wholly owned
unit Omnicom Media Group, which is part of the Omnicom Group.
Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 87 million homes and
is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom
International Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), owns and operates the following
television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, mtvU, VHI,
NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, MTV
INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 12 digital
services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also has
licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its
programming services can be seen worldwide.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship brand of mixed martial arts is the
world's premier series of MMA events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and
headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC(R) fight programs feature six live pay-
per-view events annually through cable and satellite providers. In addition
to its U.S. distribution, UFC(R) fight shows are distributed internationally
through WOWOW, Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil, Sky Network in New Zealand
and Premiere Network in Germany. Zuffa, LLC licenses the distribution of UFC
video games through Take 2 Interactive and its fight show DVDs through
Studioworks Entertainment, a Ventura Distribution company. "Ultimate Fighting
Championship," "Ultimate Fighting," "Ultimate Fighter," "UFC," "Submission,"
"As Real As It Gets" and the Octagon cage design are registered trademarks or
trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the U.S., Japan and other
jurisdictions.
All other marks that may be referenced herein belong to their respective
holders.
SOURCE Spike TV
Web Site: http://www.spiketv.com
|
