Returning: The Ultimate Fighter

Get ready UFC fans… FX Australia has announced a 2-hour premiere of  The Ultimate Fighter 18: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, next month, express from the U.S.

This season will culminate in a three-hour finale, Live on FX in early December 2013.

In a move set to make history, the UFC® will feature for the first time ever women as coaches and contestants on the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter®, its long-running reality series.

Newly minted UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, will coach opposite long-time rival and former women’s Strikeforce champion, Miesha Tate. Together Rousey and Tate will mentor both male and female bantamweight (135 lbs) fighters – living, training and fighting side by side – vying for the title of The Ultimate Fighter and a six-figure contract with the UFC.

The dislike between the two coaches has been well documented over the years, and when Rousey discovers Tate will coach opposite her instead of injured Cat Zingano, fireworks explode on and off the mat.

The Ultimate Fighter, which debuted in 2005, has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and has produced champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Matt Serra and season winners including Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz. Bantamweights were most recently featured on The Ultimate Fighter 14, when John Dodson emerged as the season’s winner.

Thursday September 5 at 4.30pm AEST on FX.