The 12th season of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter will feature lightweight fighters.
Originally this season was to have lightweights and light heavyweights, but it was confirmed that it will only have lightweights.
It’s a little odd though that the coaches are welterweights, Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck.
Officials from Spike TV (where the show is shown) has unveiled today the competitors who will compete for the six-figure contract and a chance to become “The Ultimate Fighter”.
All fighters who have applied and tried out for the show needed to have at least three professional fights and be at least 21 years of age. Some of the fighters that showed up included Jason Guida, Charles Bennett and Mike Budnik.
Like The Ultimate Fighter Season 11, TUF 12 uses a 32-slot, 28-man tournament format. The group was cut in half by an immediate elimination-round of fights, and the remaining 14 fighters comprise the show’s official cast. Two of the 14 fighters who lose in the first round get second chances in the tournament’s second round as “wild card” picks.
Without a much further ado, here’s the list of the cast for The Ultimate Fighter Season 12:
- J.J. Ambrose – eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Santa Clara, Calif.
Gym: American Kickboxing Academy
Record: 12-2
Age: 23 - Paul Barrow – eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Tampa, Fla.
Gym: Gracie Tampa
Record: 2-0
Age: 24 - Jason Brenton - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Grand Junction, Colo.
Gym: Eighth Street Impact Boxing
Record: 6-0
Age: 23 - Jonathan Brookins - won first round fight with Sevak Magakian; won quarterfinals fight with Sako Chivitchian; won semifinals fight with Kyle Watson
Fighting out of: Orlando, Fla.
Gym: Gracie Barra Orlando
Record: 11-2
Age: 24 - Mike Budnik - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Broken Arrow, Okla.
Gym: Triton
Record: 8-4
Age: 35 - Alex Caceres – won first round fight with Jeff Lentz; lost to Michael Johnson in the quarterfinals
Fighting out of: Miami, Fla.
Gym: Young Tigers Foundation
Record: 4-2
Age: 21 - Sako Chivitchian - won first round fight with Dane Sayers; lost quarterfinals fight with Jonathan Brookins
Fighting out of: Glendale, Calif.
Gym: Gokor/Gene Le Bell/Hayastan MMA
Record: 5-0
Age: 26 - Joseph Duffy - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Donegal, Ireland
Gym: Falcon Martial Arts
Record: 7-0
Age: 22 - Pablo Garza - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Fargo, N.D.
Gym: Academy of Combat Arts
Record: 7-0
Age: 26 - Toby Grear - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Los Angeles
Gym: True Warrior
Record: 7-4-1
Age: 30 - Dan Head - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Sharpsville, Ind.
Gym: Indiana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Record: 6-2
Age: 23 - Michael Johnson – won first round fight with Aaron Wilkinson; won quarterfinals fight with Alex Caceres; won semifinals fight with Nam Phan
Fighting out of: Springfield, Mo.
Gym: Springfield Fight Club
Record: 8-4
Age: 24 - Amir Khillah - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Gym: Jeremy Horn’s Elite
Record: 6-4
Age: 30 - Jeff Lentz – lost first round fight with Alex Caceres
Fighting out of: Lanoka Harbor, N.J.
Gym: Kurt Pellegrino MMA Academy
Record: 6-1
Age: 21 - Sevak Magakian - lost first round fight with Jonathan Brookins
Fighting out of: Glendale, Calif.
Gym: Hayastan MMA/Main Event
Record: 8-3
Age: 24 - Steve Magdaleno - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Torrance, Calif.
Gym: VMAT MMA Gym
Record: 5-1
Age: 28 - Andy Main – lost first round fight with Kyle Watson
Fighting out of: Boonton, N.J.
Gym: AMA Fight Club
Record: 4-1
Age: 21 - Cody McKenzie – won first round fight with Marc Stevens; lost quarterfinals fight with Nam Phan
Fighting out of: Metaline, Wash.
Gym: Fancy Pants Fight Team
Record: 10-0
Age: 22 - T.J. O’Brien - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Prole, Iowa
Gym: Round Kick MMA
Record: 13-3
Age: 23 - Spencer Paige - lost first round fight with Nam Phan
Fighting out of: Watertown, N.Y.
Gym: Central New York MMA
Record: 5-2
Age: 24 - Nam Phan - won first round fight with Spencer Paige; won quarterfinals fight with Cody McKenzie; lost semifinals fight with Michael Johnson
Fighting out of: Garden Grove, Calif.
Gym: Ma Du Academy
Record: 15-7
Age: 27 - Mike Richman - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Rosemount, Minn.
Gym: Minnesota Fight Factory
Record: 8-0
Age: 24 - Dane Sayers - lost first round fight with Sako Chivitchian
Fighting out of: Fargo, N.D.
Gym: Academy of Combat Arts
Record: 7-1
Age: 22 - Ariel Sexton - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: San Jose, Calif.
Gym: Renzo Gracie Academy
Record: 6-3
Age: 28 - Marc Stevens – lost first round fight with Cody McKenzie
Fighting out of: Lorraine, N.Y.
Gym: Team Balance/Relson Gracie Academy
Record: 12-5
Age: 24 - Kyle Watson – won first round fight with Andy Main; won quarterfinals fight with Aaron Wilkinson; lost semifinals fight with Jonathan Brookins
Fighting out of: St. Louis
Gym: The Hit Squad
Record: 13-6-1
Age: 30 - Ran Weathers - eliminated before entry round
Fighting out of: Albquerque, N.M.
Gym: Greg Jackson’s MMA Academy
Record: 13-5
Age: 28 - Aaron Wilkinson – lost first round fight with Michael Johnson; won wild card match with Marc Stevens; lost quarterfinals fight with Kyle Watson
Fighting out of: Manchester, England
Gym: Wolfslair MMA Academy
Record: 6-3
Age: 23
The show will have its season premiere on September 15, 2010 at 10 PM ET/PT, following Spike TV’s airing of UFC Fight Night 22 which features a headliner between middleweights Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares.
Check out the TUF 12 trailer.
Watch The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs Team Koscheck Season 12 episodes every Wednesday.
The show will have its season finale on December 4, 2010 LIVE from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
=======================================================
1st UPDATE: after TUF 12 Episode 1
Fighters eliminated before entry round
JJ Ambrose, Paul Barrow, Jason Brenton, Mike Budnik, Joseph Duffy, Pablo Garza, Toby Grear, Daniel Head, Amir Khillah, Steve Magdaleno, T.J. O’Brien, Michael Richman, Ariel Sexton, Ran Weather
2nd UPDATE: after TUF 12 Episode 2
Team GSP fighters (in order in which they were picked)
Michael Johnson, Jonathan Brookins, Spencer Paige, Alex Caceres, Kyle Watson, Cody McKenzie, Dane Sayers
Team Koscheck fighters (in order in which they were picked)
Marc Stevens, Sevak Magakian, Sako Chivitchian, Andy Main, Nam Phan, Aaron Wilkinson, Jeff Lentz
3rd UPDATE: after TUF 12 Episode 7
Aaron Wilkinson and Marc Stevens were announced as the wild cards.
4th UPDATE: after TUF 12 Episode 10
The semifinal matchup were announced as Jonathan Brookins vs Kyle Watson and Michael Johnson vs Nam Phan.
5th UPDATE: after TUF 12 Episode 11
It’s Jonathan Brookins vs Michael Johnson for the TUF 12 season finale on December 4, 2010!
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Tags: georges st-pierre, josh koscheck, TUF season 12
