While Brazil has been awarded the first-ever international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter," Australia may not be far behind.
At a Thursday press gathering Down Under, UFC managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said the company is "close" to securing a deal for "TUF: Australia vs. U.K."
If signed, the series would likely film in Australia later this year, and Brisbane's Brisbane Entertainment Center has been earmarked to host the finale.
"We are close to getting 'TUF: Australia vs. U.K.' done, and if we can close that, we will look to hold the finale in Brisbane," Zelznik today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Current plans for "TUF: Australia vs. U.K." call for the series to be filmed and aired via tape delay in similar fashion to the U.S. version of "TUF" during its 15 seasons on Spike TV. Zelaznik did not reveal if the company has discussed potential coaches or when the series would likely tape/air.
A Brisbane event would mark the UFC's first-ever Australian event outside of the city of Sydney, which has thus far hosted two sold-out events, UFC 110 in 2010 and UFC 127 in 2011. The company returns to Sydney on March 3 for "UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann."
Brisbane Events Center is a smaller building that Sydney's Allphones Arena, seating approximately 13,500 fans for concerts. The venue opened in 1986 and served as the home of the National Basketball League's Brisbane Bullets.
Source: UFC targeting 'TUF: Australia vs. U.K.' for 2012, eyes Brisbane for finale