EPISODE 11: ‘FIGHT THE PERFECT FIGHT’ FLASH QUOTES

Las Vegas, Nevada – Episode 11 – “Fight the Perfect Fight” – of The Ultimate Fighter^® Fridays reality series aired Friday night on FX and featured the final pair of this season’s quarterfinal matchups.

First, after a tense two rounds between evenly matched combatants, Jon Manley took a majority decision over Team Carwin teammate Joey Rivera. Then, things heated up as former friends turned rivals Mike Ricci and Michael Hill entered the Octagon^® to finally settle their dispute. And, after pressing the action in both rounds, Ricci nabbed the win via unanimous decision.

Finally, UFC^® president Dana White rounded out the episode by announcing the semifinal matchups: teammates Jon Manley and Colton Smith will faceoff andMike Ricci will take on Neil Magny. The two winners of these matchups will face off in the much-anticipated LIVE Finale on December 15 from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Here’s what the fighters had to say after their bouts:

Manley: “I’m not very happy with my performance. I did very well in trying to win the fight, but I spar with the guy a lot, I wrestle with him a lot, so I was scared to really exchange with him because in practice he beats my ass.”

Rivera: “I’m a little upset at myself, upset because I didn’t perform the way I should’ve. No excuses, I didn’t step on the gas the way I should’ve and Jon Manley was the better man today.”

Ricci: “I knew he was going to be tough, I knew he was going to come to fight. This means a lot to me, it means everything to me at this point. There are people who believe in me; my family, my friends and my coaches, but a lot of people said I was too small to be in this tournament and I want to prove those people wrong.”

Hill: “It just wasn’t my day today. Ricci came out to fight, I just didn’t give it my all, I didn’t give it 110%. I just let him beat me up for two rounds.”

The final episode will air next week, on Dec. 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX (check local listings for Central and Mountain Time). Episode 12 – “Semifinal Showdown” – two semifinal fights determine which two men will move on to fight in the Finale for a coveted UFC contract.

Tickets for The Ultimate Fighter Finale on Dec. 15 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas are on sale and priced at $304, $254, $179, $154, $104 and $79. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the Hard Rock Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com,www.thejointlasvegas.com or charge-by-phone at             800.745.3000      .

Team Carwin (6-6)

Sam Alvey (0-1, lost to Joey Rivera by decision in episode 3)

Bristol Marunde (1-1, defeated Julian Lane by decision in episode 4, lost to Neil Magny by decision in episode 10)

Mike Ricci (2-0, defeated Dom Waters by decision in episode 9, defeated Mike Ricci by decision in episode 11)

Neil Magny (2-0, defeated Cameron Diffley by decision in episode 2, defeated Bristol Marunde by decision in episode 10)

James Chaney (0-1, submitted by Jon Manley in episode 8)

Eddy Ellis (0-1, lost to Colton Smith by majority decision in epsiode 6)

Igor Araujo (1-1, defeated Nic Herron-Webb by majority decision in episode 5, lost to Colton Smith by decision in episode 10)

Matt Secor (0-1, lost to Michael Hill by split decision in episode 7)

Team Nelson (6-6)

Dom Waters (0-1, lost to Mike Ricci by decision in episode 9)

Michael Hill (1-1, defeated Matt Secor by split decision in episode 7, lost to Mike Ricci by decision in episode 11)

Cameron Diffley (0-1, lost to Neil Magny by decision in episode 2)

Colton Smith (2-0, defeated Eddy Ellis by majority decision in episode 6, defeated Igor Araujo by decision in episode 10)

Jon Manley (2-0, submitted James Chaney is episode 8, defeated Joey Rivera by decision in episode 11)

Nic Herron-Webb (0-1, lost to Igor Araujo by majority decision in episode 5)

Joey Rivera (1-1, defeated Sam Alvey by decision in episode 3, lost to Jon Manley by decision in episode 11)

Julian Lane (0-1, lost to Bristol Marunde by decision in episode 4)

A full recap is available at ufc.com.

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 onFacebook.com/TUG

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 network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast 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 by THQ, 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 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.