Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to debut its The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) franchise on FX next month (March 9, 2012) after a successful run on Spike TV.

TUF 15 will feature a mix of Lightweight and Welterweight mixed martial arts (MMA) hopefuls, competing for one "six-figure" contract that is up for grabs in each respective weight class. Bantamweight enemies, division champion Dominick Cruz and number one 135-pound contender, Urijah Faber, will serve as coaches.

Cruz and Faber will then collide at the conclusion of the show in a trilogy match that is currently scheduled to headline UFC 148 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 7, 2012.

The premiere episode of TUF 15 will be a two-hour television special. Subsequent episodes will run for one hour every Friday night for 13 weeks and, thanks to the new format, will feature LIVE fights.

For more on TUF 15 be sure to check out our comprehensive archive right here.