The Ultimate Fighter season 18 is only a few weeks away, and the UFC has revealed the upcoming cast of talent to be featured on the show to Fox Sports.
The first season to feature women coaches and talent has given The Ultimate Fighter a breath of fresh air.
Sixteen men and 16 women will begin on the show, and all fighters will be 135 pounds. The all-bantamweight season will be whittled down by half in the first show. After they fight to get into the house, the remaining eight men and eight women will be divided onto their teams coached by Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey.
Tate replaced Cat Zingano as coach when Zingano suffered a knee injury. The animosity between Tate and Rousey will surely be a focal point of the season as they lead into their fight at UFC 168.
The male cast of the upcoming season has a focus on youthful prospects. The oldest cast members are 30 years old, Tim Gorman and Lee Sandmeier. The average age for the men of the house is just over 25.5 years old.
The women fighters, on the other hand, have an emphasis on experience. Veterans of the sport, such as Shayna Baszler, Tara LaRosa and Roxanne Modafferi help line the roster. The average age of the female competitors is just under 29 years old.
This is a prime chance for the UFC to bolster its women’s division with more talent and bring in some younger talent to be the future. This is a great platform to help foster their development, and put their faces in front of a national audience.
For the first time in TUF history, men and women will live under one roof and compete on the show. The premiere date is set for Sept. 4 on Fox Sports 1. The finale is scheduled for Nov. 30 in Las Vegas.
Women’s Bantamweight Cast
Shayna Baszler (15-8), 33
Revelina Berto (3-1), 24
Jessamyn Duke (2-1), 27
Tonya Evinger (11-6), 32
Laura Howarth (4-0), 26
Tara LaRosa (21-3), 35
Valerie Letourneau (4-3), 30
Bethany Marshall (4-1), 25
Sarah Moras (3-1), 25
Margaret “Penny” Morgan (2-0), 33
Gina Mazany (3-0), 25
Roxanne Modafferi (15-10), 30
Julianna Pena (4-2), 24
Raquel Pennington (3-3), 24
Jessica Rakoczy (1-3), 36
Colleen Schneider (4-3), 31
Men’s Bantamweight Cast
Christopher Beal (7-0), 28
Cody Bollinger (14-3), 22
Louis Fisette (6-1), 23
Rafael Freitas (6-0-1), 29
David Grant (8-1), 27
Tim Gorman (9-2), 30
Anthony Gutierrez (4-0), 22
Emil Hartsner (4-0), 23
Joshua Hill (9-0), 26
Chris Holdsworth (4-0), 25
Patrick Holohan (9-0-1), 25
Sirwan Kakai (9-1), 23
Daniel Martinez (18-4), 28
Matthew Munsey (4-1), 26
Lee Sandmeier (9-0), 30
Michael Wootten (6-0), 24
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