MMA Junkie reports that the next TUF series will feature fighters from Latin America. The news was announced on Thursday afternoon.
The UFC will be accepting applications and eligible candidates must speak Spanish, have a minimum of 3 pro MMA fights and have a winning record. In order to appeal to the Latin American audience the UFC will require they be citizens of one of the following countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay or Venezuela.
No other details have been released regarding weight divisions and coaches. The show will begin taping later this year.
Payout Perspective:
The announcement is part of the UFC’s standard strategy when setting a footprint in a new market. Although the TUF franchise has become tired here in America, the show is a good sample for prospective MMA fans. It will be interesting to see if it will appear on the prospective subscription based Televisa channel in Latin America. The Latin American market is important for the UFC as it hopes to continue to develop a global following. It had hoped for an event in Mexico which would feature Cain Velasquez although this has been put aside for now due to Cain’s injury.
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