Written by Jason Gittens Wednesday, 13 June 2012 09:55
To say the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter Live format was a bust, is a fair assessment, and today the UFC’s president Dana White announced that the promotion will be moving away from the live format and back to the taped version that most of us have become accustomed to over the last 14 seasons.
Speaking via mmaweekly.com White said:
“FX wants to try it again on Friday nights. But if it’s not up to the standards I’m expecting, I’m pretty sure they’ll give me what I want. But this season was a smash hit home run for them. (If) this next season isn’t up to the standards I expect, they promised me we can move it to Tuesday or Wednesday.”
White also said that casting for Season 16 is set to start in just three weeks time and is set to debut in September. Season 2 on FX will focus on welterweight fighters.
The Live format of the show created some awkward moments, starting with their off debut episode where Faber, Cruz and White sat at a table uncomfortably, talking and mumbling between each other intermittently and leaving huge chunks of silence in between while the fighters fought it out in the cage. The show really just seemed to be lacking. The Live format also crippled their ability to create any story lines between the fighters either which made the show even less interesting.
With all that being said the UFC is firm that the show was still a huge success and said that the show will remain on Friday nights for now at least. Friday’s have always been known as the day that networks move shows to die a slow death, and it’s also always been the day of the week that produces the lowest viewership. So expect the Show to return to mid week at the end of Season 16.
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