TUF 20 finale set for Dec. 12

As expected, the live finale of Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” will take place in December in Las Vegas.

The TUF 20 Finale is set for Dec. 12 at The Pearl at The Palms, UFC officials announced Monday night. The Nevada State Athletic Commission in August approved the date for the event, though at that point it was believed to be taking place at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Instead, the event will return to The Palms and will mark the UFC’s return there for the first time since the TUF 15 Finale in June 2012. It will be the promotion’s 16th event there overall.

The TUF 20 Finale, which will air on FOX Sports 1, will be the front end of back-to-back events for the UFC. On Dec. 13, UFC on FOX 13 takes place in Phoenix.

The TUF 12 Finale will feature the UFC’s first women’s strawweight title fight, which will be between the two finalists from Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which currently airs on Wednesday nights on FOX Sports 1.

The live finale also is expected to feature other women’s strawweight fights between non-finalists from the show, which is coached by Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez – who are slated to fight the week prior at UFC 181, also in Las Vegas.

Season 20 of the long-running reality competition is the first one to feature only women as the UFC builds its inaugural strawweight division. Included among the competitors on the show are veteran fighters such as Carla Esparza, who vacated her Invicta FC title to join the show, Felice Herrig, Rose Namajunas, Tecia Torres, Jessica Penne and Joanne Calderwood.

Tickets for the TUF 20 Finale go on sale to the general public on Oct. 24, with UFC Fight Club members and e-newsletter subscribers expected to have opportunities for early tickets in the two days prior.

Additional fight announcements for the event are expected in the coming weeks.

By: Matt Erickson