The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion (8 May 1997)

Monica begs Pete to stop fighting after he is beaten up. Chandler is unnerved when his boss slaps his butt. Ross starts dating a new woman.

Director:

Robby Benson

Writers:

David Crane (creator), Marta Kauffman (creator),

Stars:

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Jennifer Aniston	...	Rachel Green
Courteney Cox	...	Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow	...	Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc	...	Joey Tribbiani (as Matt Le Blanc)
Matthew Perry	...	Chandler Bing
David Schwimmer	...	Dr. Ross Geller
Jon Favreau	...	Pete Becker
James Hong	...	Hoshi
Christine Taylor	...	Bonnie
Sam McMurray	...	Doug (as Sam MacMurray)
Steve Park	...	Phil
Joe O'Connor	...	Stevens
'Big' John McCarthy	...	Referee (as John McCarthy)
Bruce Buffer	...	Announcer

Storyline

Chandler is greatly appreciated by his boisterous boss Doug, but finds it unsettling to receive the highest praise in the form of systematical swatting of his posterior, to the point of its pain and his colleagues' envy... Millionaire Pete chose as his new challenge after business to 'conquer' the brutal martial art of Ultimate Fighting, but despite an expensive entourage his confidence is so obviously and utterly misplaced that Monica can't watch his physical pain and public humiliation, even makes a breaking point of his persistence... Rachel gave her blessing to Phoebe presenting Ross with her friend Bonnie as date, without realizing she's no longer eerily bold, in fact quite to Ross's taste...

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Plot Keywords:

public humiliation | ultimate fighting | male bonding | mixed martial arts | slapping | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

8 May 1997 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Dijon Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 22 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Billy Crystal and Robin Williams's appearance wasn't in the original script. They were by coincidence in the same building, or the one across the street from where "Friends" was being filmed, and the writers asked if they wanted to make a guest appearance. This was the day of shooting so it was just quickly thrown in.

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Goofs

Before the friends attend Pete's UFC match, an exterior shot of the venue is shown. However, the venue depicted is the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which is in Minneapolis, not New York City.

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Quotes

Pete: [about becoming the Ultimate Fighting Champion] One day, kids will wonder who'd win in a fight: me or Superman. Of course I can't beat Superman, but you know, kids are stupid.

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Connections

References Fame (1980)

User Reviews

The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion

Pete decides to become an ultimate fighting champion, for Monica's despair. After having his first fight and stayed all hurt, Monica asks Pete to stop with this goal, but he refuses to listen to her.

Chandler stays angry with his boss, who has the strange and inconvenient habit of slap his butt all the time.

Phoebe introduces Bonnie to Ross,after having Rachel's consent. Rachel thought that Bonnie was bald, but in fact she is is very beautiful and with a lot of blond hair.(She was bald in the past) To make Rachel even more upset, Ross enjoyed Bonnie's company a lot.

Monica and Pete break up, since Monica cannot agree to see her boyfriend being beaten up all the time.