LOS ANGELES — After a decade on the air, The Ultimate Fighter is getting an overhaul.
For the first time ever, the UFC reality series will feature a format pitting two of the sport’s top gyms — American Top Team and the Blackzilians — against one another, UFC president Dana White announced Saturday morning at the Welcome To The Show press conference.
The Ultimate Fighter 21 was filmed in South Florida, where the two camps sit just miles apart, and the competitors will be welterweights from each facility. An amount of $500,000 will be earned throughout the season based on wins and losses.
The show premieres April 22 on FOX Sports 1 with a two-hour episode.
According to FOXSports.com, the teams will be made up of eight up-and-coming 170-pounders from each gym. The 16 men will share a house in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. But instead of training amongst each other, the athletes will still work with their coaches at their respective gyms.
The trailer shown Saturday here explained the bitter feud between the two teams, especially the combustible dynamic between owners Dan Lambert of ATT and Glenn Robinson from Blackzilians.
The actual fights will take place at American Top Team in Coconut Creek and the Blackzilians’ Jaco Hybrid Training Center in Boca Raton. The winning fighter will earn home gym control for his team for the next bout. Opponents will not be revealed until weigh-ins for the first time.
Per FOX Sports, here are the competitors:
American Top Team
Marcelo Alfaya (16-7, 1NC) Porto Alegre, Brazil
Steve Carl (21-4), Belle Plain, Iowa
Nathan Coy (14-5), Vallejo, Calif.
Michael Graves (4-0), Toledo, Ohio
Hayder Hassan (6-1), Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Sabah Homasi (8-4), New Brunswick, N.J.
Uros Jurisic (5-0), Ljubljana, Slovenia
Steve Montgomery (8-2), Florence, S.C.
Blackzilians
Valdir Araujo (14-5), Gama, Federal District, Brazil
Carrington Banks (3-0), Peoria, Ill.
Luiz Buscape (16-5), Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil
Jason Jackson (4-2), Kingston, Jamaica
Vincente Luque (7-4-1), Westwood, NJ
Andrews Nakahara (4-2-2), Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Felipe Portela (8-2), Brasilia, Brazil
Kamarudeen Usman (5-1), Auchi, Nigeria