The Ultimate Fighter: China

Episodes

A total of 12 episodes aired on Liaoning Satellite TV for Season 1, each one hour long including advertisements, with a short commentary of less than 10 minutes following directly after the episode. The series was scheduled to air every Saturday at 22:00 Beijing Time, and beginning January 2014, it aired every Saturday and Sunday consecutively at the same time, ending on January 26, 2014. Episode 1, the premiere on December 7, 2013, began with an explanation about the UFC and The Ultimate Fighter for unfamiliar viewers.

The coaches Tiequan Zhang and Hailin Ao entered the training center, and Cung Le explained the season's goals. Fighters explored the training center and began training, then the coaches explained the UFC and the opportunity's importance for MMA in China and Asia. Preliminary training matches were held to gauge strengths and weaknesses for team picks. The teams were named Team Sky Dragons (led by Tiequan Zhang) and Team Flying Lions (led by Hailin Ao).

Le flipped a coin, with red for Sky Dragons and yellow for Flying Lions; Ao won the coin toss and chose the first fighter. Le announced that fighters could receive $25,000 for Knockout of the Season, Submission of the Season, and Fight of the Season. The teams visited their locker rooms, and Le reminded them to focus on developing together. Episode 2, on December 14, 2013, showed Team Flying Lions arriving at the house and choosing bedrooms.

In Team Sky Dragons' van ride, Li Jinying discussed being the last pick and adjusting to MMA life. Both teams then interacted at the house.

The Ultimate Fighter China Finale: Kim vs. Hathaway

The Ultimate Fighter China Finale, also marketed as UFC Fight Night: Kim vs. Hathaway, went down on March 1, 2014, inside Macau’s CotaiArena. The main event pitted welterweights John Hathaway and Dong Hyun Kim against each other. The card originally included the welterweight final from The Ultimate Fighter: China, but the featherweight final between Ning Guangyou and Jianping Yang was scratched after Yang got hurt; that fight later got rescheduled for UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le in August 2014.

Zak Cummings missed weight by eight pounds for his scheduled bout with Alberto Mina, and since Mina refused a catchweight, their fight was pulled. With that cancellation, the event ended up with just eight bouts—the smallest UFC card since UFC 72 back in 2007. Post-fight, $50,000 bonuses went to Yui Chul Nam and Kazuki Tokudome for Fight of the Night, while Matt Mitrione and Dong Hyun Kim each took home Performance of the Night.

Did You Know?

• Fu was unable to make weight and was removed from the show; Wang Anying advanced directly to the semi-finals.
• Dong was replaced by Yong Shun due to injury; to decide who would take Dong's spot in the semi-finals, Yong faced Cheng and lost by submission (punches) in round 2.