Show: The Ultimate Fighter – The Smashes
Debut: Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 (September 20th in the USA)
Televised: FX Australia (Australia) and ESPN UK (United Kingdom).
Stream: AUS.TUF.TV (Online)
Coaches: George Sotiropoulos and Ross Pearson
Cast: Lightweights (155-pounders) and Welterweights (170-pounders)
Country of Origin: Australia
Format:
-This will start as two 8-man MMA tournaments (8 Lightweights and 8 Welterweights).
-The 16 cast members were selected from the countries of Australia and United Kingdom (8 from each country).
-Coach Sotiropoulos (Australia) and Coach Pearson (United Kingdom) will have 2 teams of 8 fighters (4 Lightweights and 4 Welterweights) from their native countries.
-This will be the first season of the UFC’s longtime reality show to take place in Australia.
-The name "The Smashes" is a play on the 130 year-old cricket rivalry between Australia and England called "The Ashes".
-The show will debut on Thursday, September 20th at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on AUS.TUF.TV and 12 a.m. BST on ESPN UK, as well as Wednesday, September 19th at 12:30 p.m. Sydney Time on FX Australia.
-The Ultimate Fighter – The Smashes Finale is set to take place at UFC on FX 6 – Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson on Friday, December 14th, 2012 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
-The two coaches (Sotiropoulos and Pearson) are expected to fight each other in the main event of UFC on FX 6 – Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson on Friday, December 14th, 2012 at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Fighters:
TEAM AUSTRALIA (Team Sotiropoulos)
Lightweights:
-Grant Blackler (Sunshine Coast, Queensland)
-Patrick Iodice (Gold Coast, Queensland)
-Richie Vaculik (Sydney, New South Wales)
-Ben Wall (Brisbane, Queensland)
Welterweights:
-Ben Alloway (Gold Coast, Queensland)
-Xavier Lucas (Perth, Western Australia)
-Manuel Rodriguez (Sydney, New South Wales)
-Robert Whitaker (Sydney, New South Wales)
TEAM UNITED KINGDOM (Team Pearson)
Lightweights:
-Colin Fletcher (Sunderland, England)
-Norman Parke (Bushmills, Northern Ireland)
-Michael Pastou (Essex, England)
-Mike Wilkinson (Leigh, England)
Welterweights:
-Luke Newman (London, England)
-Bola Omoyele (London, England)
-Valentino Petrescu (Essex, England)
-Brad Scott (Melksham, England)