Ultimate Fighting Championship today (June 14, 2013) announced the next international installment of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), branded "TUF Nations" featuring a reality show battle between Canada and Australia.
UFC middleweight veterans and TUF grads Patrick Cote (Canada) and Kyle Noke (Australia) will serve as coaches, leading a group of up-and-coming welterweight prospects to the promised land.
Tryouts for TUF Nations, which will make its debut in 2014 on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, as well as TVA Sports and FX Networks in Australia, will begin in September, first in Sydney and then in Toronto. If this sounds like your cup of tea, click here to register and get yourself into the mix.
The two tribes concept first started with TUF 9: "United States vs. United Kingdom," which had Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson in the lead roles. Most recently, Ross Pearson and George Sotiropoulos went to war internationally on TUF "Sm-Ashes," pitting Australia against United Kingdom.
Pearson, unlike Bisping, was able to emerge victorious.
Cote made his mark on the "Comeback" season back in 2006, but fell to Travis Lutter by way of armbar in the season finale. Since then, "The Predator" has gone 6-4 inside the Octagon. Noke, meanwhile, emerged from TUF 11 with three straight wins, before hitting a 1-2 rough patch over the last two years.
Nothing like going back to your roots.
No other information on TUF Nations has been released at this time; however, expect bits and pieces to start trickling in over the next few months. In the meantime, let's get some feedback on this upcoming season, as well as the promotion's choice for coaches.
Yay or nay?