The UFC starts filming the third edition of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil on Jan. 12 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and MMAFighting.com confirmed with sources close to the situation that the cast will feature middleweight and heavyweight contestants.
The official tryouts for TUF: Brazil 3 also included light heavyweights, but the UFC decided to go with 185-pounders and heavyweights only.
TUF: Brazil 3 airs from March to May in Brazil on Globo and on Fight Pass for the rest of the world.
Chael Sonnen, who coaches the season in opposite to former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva, is expected to arrive in Brazil on Thursday with his staff of assistant trainers, including UFC veteran Vinny Magalhaes.
The first season of TUF: Brazil crowned Rony Jason (featherweight) and Cezar Ferreira (middleweight) the champions, and Leonardo Santos won the second edition of the reality show in the welterweight division.