Spike Uses Kimbo Slice to Counter-Program The Ultimate Fighter on FX

[No More Sorrow]

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson – the star of the highest-rated season of "The Ultimate Fighter" in the show's history – is making a return to the reality series. Sort of.

Ferguson will host Spike TV's debut of "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" on March 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The weekly three-hour specials counter-program new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter 15," which also debuts March 9 – on FX, the series' new broadcast home.

Ferguson will share details and new footage from "TUF 10," in which he competed alongside the likes of Brendan Schaub, Matt Mitrione and eventual show champion Roy Nelson. The heavyweights-only season of the reality series shattered previous records and averaged a staggering 3.4 million weekly viewers.

Future editions of "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" will feature full episodes and themed specials from the first 14 seasons of the show, which launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters while producing champions such as Forrest Griffin, Matt Serra and Rashad Evans.

As part of a landmark seven-year deal between the UFC and FOX, future seasons of "TUF" moved to the FOX-owned FX. As a change, FX will air live fights (rather than taped fights) at the conclusion of each episode. "TUF 15" features lightweight fighters who are coached by UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and upcoming opponent Urijah Faber.

As with other live events on the FOX-owned channels, Spike TV officials are dipping into the UFC library (they own the rights until the end of the year) for counter-programming. Such counter-programming efforts have produced respectable ratings figures in recent months.

Good for him.

 

[Ben]

Makes sense for Spike to do this even if it's a dick move, it's sad that most people associate MMA with Kimbo Slice which is horrible cause he's the farthest thing from a MMA fighter in the sport.

 

[Troy]

Spike may as well replay these shows as often as possible if they only own the rights for this year. It would be sad if Kimbo hosting replays of old shows outrates the new series of TUF.