Fuel TV Didn’t Want to Interfere with TUF Live, So TUF Brasil Will Air in June Instead

Now that the Ultimate Fighter Brasil is underway, many fans have been asking the question why it has only been available online in locations other than Brazil, but not on television?

When TUF Brasil was first announced, UFC President Dana White and others all but confirmed that the show would air on Fuel TV as part of their programming deal with the network.

But when the show started a few weeks ago, mysteriously the online option was the only viewing one for those not watching on Globo TV in Brazil.

Now Fuel TV Executive Vice President and General Manager George Greenberg clears the air on the subject, and explains why TUF Brasil is still coming to the network, just not at the same time it’s airing in South America.

“We’re probably going to air it in June,” explained Greenberg.

“The reason why we’re not airing it simultaneously is we don’t want to take any of the air out of the room promotionally for TUF on FX. TUF Brazil is something that is airing in real time down in Brazil, and if you haven’t seen it here, just means you haven’t seen it here.”

The plan is to air the TUF Brasil episodes on Fuel TV after the inaugural season of the Ultimate Fighter Live finish airing on their sister station, FX.

“In the wonderful world of time shifting, as soon as TUF on FX is done, then we will premier TUF Brazil, which will be a great promotional tool to feed into the next TUF on FX,” said Greenberg.

The Fuel TV executive says that the plan currently laid out is for the international versions of the Ultimate Fighter, and the new live version on FX to alternate back and forth throughout the year, thus giving a constant stream of the show on television.

“There will be a constant give and a go between a series that is happening right here and now, and a series that did not possibly happen at the exact same time that it was going on in real time.”

The fact is from Greenberg that while the Ultimate Fighter continues to be a great avenue for new fighters, and a promotional machine for the UFC, there just may not be room for two of the shows to run simultaneously on TV.

There can be too much of a good thing.

“There isn’t a lot of room in the world for two TUF’s at one time,” said Greenberg.

“We want the first one on FX to really sit on there and plant, and seed itself, and we’ll use the next one as a vehicle with TUF Brazil.”

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