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MUMBAI:
It was an afternoon filled with mixed martial arts expertise
as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Sony's sports channel
Six officially confirmed a wide-ranging, strategic partnership
which brings the sports organisation to India.
UFC
content can be seen on Six every night at 9 pm. Six is the
destination for all UFC programming in India, from live events
featuring the biggest names in the sport to athlete profile
shows including the seminal Countdown and Primetime.
Six
will also feature the greatest fights in the UFC’s 19-year
history with UFC Unleashed. In addition there will be a reality
show called The Ultimate Fighter: India (TUF India). This
will be a competition involving 16 fighters and the winner
gets a six figure UFC contract. This event will be held next
year in India.
Says UFC chairman, CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, “We are delighted
to bring the UFC - the fastest growing sports organisation
in the world - to India. Our TG is 18-34 males. We have grown
in Brazil and that success has shown that we can have success
here. India has a lot of appetite for new sports and we are
confident that Six will skew younger audiences with the special
programming of the Ultimate fighting Championship on the channel.
The fast paced action along with real fights will appeal to
Indians. We also have a legacy of khushti and one day they
can become UFC champions.”
'Ultimate
Fighter' is the UFC’s long-running reality TV show in
the US where 16 of the most talented unsigned martial artists
compete for a contract with the UFC. Previous TUF winners
have gone on to win UFC world champions and become international
superstars.
Says
Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh, “Mixed martial
arts require tremendous physical training, skill and strategy
and India certainly has a lot of aptitude for the sport, With
the Ultimate Fighter India, we hope to harness and prepare
local talent to produce world class fighters. It will be an
inspiration to young India. Six will motivate a new generation
to compete on the world stage in one of the fastest growing
sports in the world.”
TUF
India will be the third edition of the long-running sports
reality show to take place outside the US; with TUF Brazil
taking place earlier this year and TUF: the Smashes (Australia
vs UK) to begin airing in Australia later this month.
Fertitta, “We are very excited to partner with Six as
the UFC expands into India. We look forward to working with
them to not only further expand the UFC’s fanbase here,
but also to find and develop local talent and, ultimately,
bring regular live events to India.”
Six’s
commitment to the series is crucial for the UFC in the market.
Says Fertitta, “Six’s willingness to step up and
commit to the Ultimate Fighter India was very important to
us. TUF India will help to introduce the sport in India, to
showcase the hard work, dedication, athleticism and skills
needed to compete in the UFC. It will also cast a spotlight
throughout the country, searching for the most talented local
martial artists."
Tapping
local talent will be one of the main hunts for the UFC in
India. Says Fertitta, “The UFC will be successful in
India even without local stars, but what we’ve seen around
the world is fans really want to see one of their own get
a chance to compete at the highest level. Somewhere out there
in a country of 1.2 billion there is a Indian champion, someone
who will capture the imagination of the fans and help take
the sport to a whole new level.”
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