New, live “The Ultimate Fighter” debuts on FX Friday

“The Ultimate Fighter” helped make the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Now the reality show that mixes fighting with male drama that rivals “Real Housewives” is being reinvented for the cable network FX by featuring live fights from the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, beginning Friday night.

The competition is to feature 32 fighters -- including six from Southern California -- in the 155-pound lightweight division. Twelve hourlong episodes will air Fridays on FX, culminating in a June 1 finale, also at the Palms.

Teams will be divided and coached by UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz of San Diego and his future challenger, Urijah Faber. Cruz and Faber are set to fight at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas on July 7.

“The Ultimate Fighter Live” debuts with a two-hour episode at 9 p.m. PST, with locals including Jared Carlsten of Los Angeles, Vincent Allen Pichel of Sherman Oaks, Chris Saunders of Long Beach and San Diegans Erin Beach, Saul Galindo Jr. and Myles Madison Jury among those participating.

“We’ll go with 16 live fights back to back to back on Friday, then go back into the house [where the fighters live and bicker] in the following episodes with a countdown clock running to the live fights,” UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta said. “It’s nothing that’s ever been done before. We’re a little nervous, but believe it will work out fine.”

“The Ultimate Fighter” was a pivotal part of the UFC’s growth, when, in its 2005 debut season, it closed with one of the best MMA fights of all time, between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.

The action was so fierce and compelling that Fertitta agreed to terms on a new television deal with Viacom outside the arena.

Now, in moving to FX as part of the UFC’s new seven-year deal to stage fights on Fox, the organization is hopeful the revised format on a cable network aimed at young males will produce more than 2 million viewers, after averaging about 1.5 million viewers last season on Spike.

“We spent a lot of time focusing on the quality of talent with our matchmakers, picking the best fighters -- we’re looking for our next champion -- rather than letting producers pick the best personalities,” Fertitta said.

“This is going to be a cross between ‘Big Brother’ and a night of UFC fights. These guys are one step away.”

The winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” will again earn a six-figure, multi-fight contract from the UFC.

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