UFC officially announced the season in June 2013. Tryouts were held in July and August 2013 in Beijing, Singapore and Macao. Fighters were looked at in the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions, with over 150 applicants. The featherweight and welterweight classes were ultimately chosen. Sixteen fighters competed in two single-elimination tournaments. The final bouts aired live on March 1, 2014. Vietnamese-American Cung Le was the show's mentor and chief coach. UFC fighter Tiequan Zhang and Chinese mixed martial artist Hailin Ao coached the two teams.
