SEASON BEGINS WITH A SPECIAL TWO-HOUR EPISODE AT 8 PM ET/PT

Las Vegas, Nevada – The world’s longest running sports reality TV series is back as ® returns for its exciting 17th season TONIGHT at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FX with a special two-hour premier show.

Featuring UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and Chael ‘the American Gangster’ Sonnen as coaches, the premier sees several breathtaking fight finishes – including one of the fastest KOs in the history of the series – as 28 of the world’s best unsigned mixed martial artists collide in 14 fight-in eliminators.

And, for the first time in the eight-year history of TUF™, the fighters’ families and friends will be in attendance for the fight-ins as the middleweights throwdown, desperate to earn a spot in the famed TUF House and pursue their dream of a six- figure UFC contract.

Who will be on Team Jones, and who will suit up for Team Sonnen – decisions are made tonight.

Also launching for the premiere is a fantasy bracket style tournament, a competition that challenges players’ skills and strategies. The TUF™ Tournament, the first of multiple fantasy games on UFC.com/Fantasy, will encourage interactivity between fans, rewarding those earning the most points with their picks, and introducing fans to upcoming fighters.

Click links below to view preview videos:

Who’s Next?: http://youtu.be/byaAVv9_MWI

Raise The Stakes: http://youtu.be/g4LpCfA9jfE Jones vs. Sonnen: http://youtu.be/S7RvB8kERRE

The competitors are:

Dylan Andrews (16-4-1), 32, Gold Coast, AUS Jake Heun (3-2), 25, Salt Lake City, Utah

Kito Andrews (9-2), 34, Sacramento, Calif. Nicholas Kohring (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.

Zak 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, , 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, , 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, , Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, and .

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 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 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 series The Americans; the acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny in , 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.