Although it may not pull in the ratings like it used to, The Ultimate Fighter still serves as a relatively important endeavor for the UFC. While it hasn’t produced a fighter the caliber of Forrest Griffin or Rashad Evans in a long time, the reality series has introduced people like John Dodson and Kelvin Gastelum to a wider audience. Now, Electronic Arts has revealed that EA Sports UFC will allow players to run through the TUF Tournament to determine whether they’re championship material, or just another Kimbo Slice.
Taking the place of the stale career mode present in the UFC Undisputed series, this game’s version of The Ultimate Fighter will allow customized characters to receive training from UFC stars that can be used to boost stats and unlock unique attacks, such as Anthony Pettis’ “Showtime” kick. Successfully making your way through the show is a fast track to championship contender status.
Fighter’s careers will also be determined through two different ratings systems. The popularity gauge is relatively self-explanatory, with the more popular stars receiving greater attention from sponsors, as well as direct messages from fellow fighters and Dana White himself. The longevity gauge keeps track of how much damage a fighter receives over their career. Fighting smart and minimizing brawls will allow fighters to stick around for a long time, while getting into too many firefights will see you getting dropped just like Chuck Liddell was at the end of his career.
EA Sports UFC will be released on June 17th for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. If you are interested in the title, don’t forget to reserve it in order to receive access to martial arts legend Bruce Lee.
