Officials from ABS-CBN, the parent company of Balls Channel which handles UFC programming in the Philippines, have informed BloodyElbow.com that the first international edition of the reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, is close to being finalized. This has been in the works for quite some time now, and we have been told that it is expected to be launched on 2012.
Details from 'TUF Philippines' such as coaches, participants, weight divisions, and prizes, are still being ironed out, but it is expected to be officially announced soon. Jon Jones' trip to the country has been finalized, and is reportedly set up to not only talk about the UFC and MMA in general, but to help promote TUF Philippines as well.
As for the cast, the Philippines' top MMA promotion, the URCC, would be an obvious choice to help them stock up on talented fighters for the reality show. They routinely produce some of the best talent in the continent, with fighters such as Eduard Folayang, Eric Kelly, and Kevin Belingon among the many stars doing well in the Asian circuit.
Things can still change as the details get finalized, but as of this writing, URCC officials have informed us that the UFC has yet to contact them about using their talent for TUF.
Stay tuned for more details as they become available.