Photo credit: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC - The cast of The Ultimate Fighter® Fridays.

Series resumes next Friday on FX at regular time of 10 p.m. ET/PT

Las Vegas, Nevada (Sept. 14, 2012) - Welcome to the End of the Weak. The 16th season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization's famed reality television show kicked off Friday evening on FX, as 16 of the most talented unsigned welterweight (170 lbs) fighters took their first step towards achieving their dream of receiving a six-figure contractwith the UFC®.

In the exciting two-hour premiere of The Ultimate Fighter® Fridays, viewers were treated to 16 exciting fights, previously taped at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, as 32 fighters vied for a coveted spot on the series. The winners, now official cast members, earned their way into The Ultimate Fighter® house where cameras documented their activity in and out of the Octagon® over a span of six weeks.

The series resumes next Friday, September 20, on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings for Central and Mountain Time) with the second episode of its 12-week run.

Below are the premiere episode match-ups and results:
Dom Waters d. Kevin Nowaczyk - TKO, 1rd, 0:32
Michael Hill d. Lev Magen - TKO, 1rd, 1:27
Bristol Marunde d. George Lockhart - Sub (via guillotine), 1rd, 2:23
Mike Ricci d. Jason South - TKO, 1rd, 1:50
Julian Lane d. Diego Bautista - Unanimous decision
Igor Araujo d. Cortez Coleman - Sub (via triangle choke), 3rd (victory round), 3:16
James Chaney d. Jerel Clark - Sub (via triangle choke), 1rd, 1:30
Cameron Diffley d. Zane Kamaka - Sub (via armbar), 1rd, 1:37
Neil Magny d. Frank Camacho - Unanimous decision
Jon Manley d. Ricky Legere, Jr. - Unanimous decision
Colton Smith d. Jesse Barrett - Unanimous decision
Matt Secor d. Max Griffin - Sub (via triangle choke), 3rd (victory round), 2:55
Eddy Ellis d. David Michaud - Sub (via arm triangle), 2rd, 4:29
Joey Rivera d. Saad Awad - Majority decision
Nic Herron-Webb d. Tim Rubert - Sub (via armbar), 1rd, 4:17
Sam Alvey d. Leo Kuntz - TKO, 1rd, 0:47

A full recap is available at ufc.com.

Following the elimination fights, viewers watched as coach of Team Carwin, former UFC interim heavyweight champion, Shane Carwin and coach of Team Nelson, TUF™ season 10 winner, Roy Nelson selected their teams. The first overall pick was Alvey, chosen by Carwin, while Nelson's first pick was also a winner by TKO, Waters. Below are the complete team breakdowns (in order of selection):

Team Carwin
(Twitter handles)
Sam Alvey @Smilensam
Bristol Marunde @bristolmarunde

Mike Ricci @MikeyRicci
Neil Magny @neilmagny
James Chaney @jameschaneymma

Eddy Ellis @fasteddyellis

Igor Araujo @igoraraujojj
Matt Secor @secormatthew

Team Nelson
Dom Waters @shonuff89
Michael Hill @mmamike
Cameron Diffley @camerondiffley
Colton Smith @coltonsmithmma
Jon Manley @jonmanleymma
Nic Herron-Webb @NaptimeNic
Joey Rivera @joeyboomboom
Julian Lane @julianlanemma

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don't forget to follow us on Twitter under our new name @TUFonFX or on Facebook.com/TUF.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can't-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX networkannually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programmingbroadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed byTHQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

\ FX
FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 98 million homes. The diverse schedule includes a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series including Sons of Anarchy, Justified and American Horror Story, and acclaimed hit comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer and Wilfred. Its library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. The network's other offerings include the acquired hit series Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother, and live sports with college football and the UFC.