FS1's THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER Companion Show Premieres This Week

Fox Sports announces the premiere of TUF TALK, a half-hour late-night companion show to THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER, Wednesday, April 20 (12:00 AM ET), immediately following the special two-hour premiere of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: TEAM JOANNA VS. TEAM CLAUDIA (10:00 PM ET). TUF TALK originally debuted on FS1 as a segment of FOX SPORTS LIVE and has been expanded this year into its own show. Co-hosted by veteran combat sports journalist Karyn Bryant and retired UFC fighter and TUF Season 1 cast member Kenny Florian, each episode of TUF TALK recaps the latest episode of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER, features cast interviews and provides exclusive show outtakes. After the premiere week, TUF TALK moves to 11:00 PM ET for the remainder of the season.

"I'm fired up for the new season of TUF Talk," says Bryant. "Not only because this season of TUF has two very talented, very competitive and very outspoken coaches in Joanna [Jedrzejczyk] and Claudia [Gadelha], but also because our newly expanded show gives us even more time to get to know the latest pool of up-and-coming talent. We'll deliver in-depth fight analysis and technical breakdowns of the action in the Octagon, giving UFC fans more of what they love."

"I'm excited to follow along once again for this season of THE UTLTIMATE FIGHTER," says Florian. "As a TUF alum, I'm looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds and what the experiences were like for the coaches and competitors involved."

The TUF TALK premiere features interviews with THE UTLIMATE FIGHTER coaches strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and No. 1-ranked Claudia Gadelha, who discuss the upcoming season, their teams and more. For Wednesday's premiere episode, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier fills in as co-host for Florian.

The exciting season premiere of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER kicks off Wednesday with 32 competitors in the light heavyweight and strawweight divisions battling for one of 16 spots available in the competition. Once the final cast is set, coaches Jedrzejczyk and Gadelha pick their teams and then lead THE FIGHTERS through the toughest reality show on television. There will be no love lost between the two as their epic feud plays out every Wednesday night leading up to their highly anticipated rematch.

The following 11 episodes air on FS1 on Wednesdays at 10:00 PM ET. Each week showcases a fight between the competitors, with the episode's winner advancing in the single-elimination tournament, leading to the season finale live on FS1 on Friday, July 8 headlined by the coaches in a world title bout as Jedrzejczyk defends her belt against Gadelha.