CAST REVEALED FOR
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER®: REDEMPTION
Season premieres Wednesday, April 19 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1
Las Vegas – The landmark 25th season of FS1’s highest-rated and most-watched original series, The Ultimate Fighter® premieres Wednesday, April 19 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1. This season 14 former cast members will compete for redemption in the tournament comprised of welterweights and the largest cash prize in the show’s history. The competitors will be coached by bantamweight world champion Cody Garbrandt and No. 2 contender TJ Dillashaw. All of the athletes have previously competed on the series and the cast includes a member of the current UFC® roster inJames Krause as well as two previous winners of The Ultimate Fighter, with Joe Stevenson winning season two and Eddie Gordon capturing the honor during season 19.
Undefeated 135-pound kingpin Garbrandt (11-0, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) has become one of the most exciting and feared fighters in mixed martial arts. At just 25 years old, “No Love,” the No. 5 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and has nine knockouts in 11 pro fights – seven in the first round. Garbrandt defeated longtime champion Dominick Cruz in December 2016 in dominating fashion and now has his sights set on former Team Alpha Male training partner and fierce rival, Dillashaw.
Former bantamweight champion Dillashaw (15-3, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) has come full circle in his UFC career. He entered the company as a competitor on season 14 and is now coaching a team of his own. While the No. 14 pound-for-pound fighter in the world did not win his season, he’s one of only six athletes to compete on The Ultimate Fighter to go on to win UFC gold and is no doubt hoping to become a two-time champion at the season’s end.
The show will feature 12 episodes airing Wednesdays on FS1. Each episode’s winner will advance in the tournament, with the two semi-finalists meeting at the finale in July for a UFC contract and a $250,000 prize.
Below is a full list of competitors (name, professional record, age and fighting out of):
Seth Baczynski – 20-14, 35, Gilbert, Ariz.
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Julian Lane – 11-6, 29, Mansfield, Ohio
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Mehdi Baghdad – 11-5, 31, Los Angeles, Calif.
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Dhiego Lima – 12-5, 28, Dacula, Ga.
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Justin Edwards – 9-5, 34, Bellefontaine, Ohio
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Ramsey Nijem – 9-6, 28, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Tom Gallicchio – 19-9, 30, Temecula, Calif.
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Gilbert Smith – 12-6, 35, Colorado Springs, Colo.
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Eddie Gordon – 8-4, 33, Freeport, N.Y.
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Joe Stevenson – 33-16, 34, Victorville, Calif.
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Hayder Hassan – 6-3, 34, Coconut Creek, Fla.
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Jesse Taylor – 30-15, 34, Temecula, Calif.
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James Krause – 23-7, 30, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
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Hector Urbina – 17-10, 29, Coconut Creek, Calif.
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For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and follow us on Twitter@UltimateFighter and Facebook.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE ON THE LINE WHEN CHAMPION DANIEL CORMIER COLLIDES WITH KNOCKOUT ARTIST
ANTHONY JOHNSON
Plus:
(#4) CHRIS WEIDMAN vs. (#5) GEGARD MOUSASI
TICKETS FOR UFC® 210: CORMIER vs. JOHNSON 2
AT KEYBANK CENTER IN BUFFALO, NY ON SALE FRIDAY, FEB. 17
Las Vegas – One of the most highly anticipated rematches in UFC® history will take place when the Octagon® touches down in Buffalo, N.Y. for the first time in more than 20 years, as light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and No. 1Anthony Johnson clash for the second time. Plus, New York’s favorite son, Chris Weidman, looks to stay in the title picture in the middleweight division when he meets surging Gegard Mousasi. Buffalo’s KeyBank Center will hostUFC® 210: CORMIER vs. JOHNSON 2 Saturday, April 8, live on Pay-Per-View.
Cormier (18-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) will go down as one of the greatest combat athletes in history when all is said and done. He’s a two-time Olympian, NCAA Div. 1 All-American in wrestling and has been a champion in almost every promotion he’s competed in as a mixed martial artist. His reign over the 205-pound division began with a third-round submission victory over Johnson (22-5, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) in 2015 and “DC” knows another win over “Rumble” will solidify his place amongst the best. Looking for revenge, Johnson will enter the second go-around with Cormier sporting a full camp to prepare for the champ’s world-class wrestling. Owner of one of the most feared right hands in the sport, the 32-year-old challenger has 16 knockouts and 12 first round finishes to go along with his national championship pedigree wrestling background.
Setting the stage for the championship bout is a matchup between former middleweight champion and No. 4-ranked contender Weidman (13-2, fighting out of Baldwin, N.Y.) and former Dream and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Mousasi (41-6-2, fighting out of Leiden, the Netherlands) in a bout with major title implications. Weidman has become the face of MMA in New York, and for the second time in his career, he’ll get to compete on home soil. Known for his wrestling, the New Yorker is also a decorated jiu-jitsu player with the ability to finish a fight on the feet or by submission. Mousasi has some of the most fluid striking in the sport and has 24 wins by knockout and an undefeated kickboxing record of 8-0 to show for it. He’s riding a four-fight winning streak and hopes a fifth will put him in line for the next shot at the 185-pound crown.
Additional Bouts:
- No. 14 light heavyweight and NCAA Div. 1 All-American wrestler Patrick Cummins (8-4, fighting out of Dana Point, Calif.) takes on dangerous finisher, No. 15 Jan Blachowicz (19-6, fighting out of Warsaw Poland)
- Surging welterweight No. 12 Kamaru Usman (9-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) clashes with heavy-hittingSean Strickland (18-1, fighting out of Corona, Calif.)
- A clash between two of the women’s bantamweight division’s brightest prospects Katlyn Chookagian (8-1, fighting out of Kenilworth, N.J.) and Irene Aldana (7-3, fighting out of Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico)
- Undefeated upstate New Yorker Shane Burgos (8-0, fighting out of Monroe, N.Y.) meets submission aceCharles Rosa (11-2, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a featherweight duel
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
THE UFC FIGHT PASS ORIGINAL SERIES RETURNS
SEASON FOUR DROPS FEB 14
Las Vegas - The UFC FIGHT PASS® Original Series Where Are They Now? returns with a new season on Tuesday, February 14 with all six episodes dropping at 6 a.m. PT.
Now in its fourth season, Where Are They Now? catches-up with the biggest names from the UFC’s past and explores their lives after the Octagon®. The new season checks in with six former UFC fighters in total, representing all eras of the UFC’s history.
Media are welcome to use both the teasers for each episode as well as the free fights. Links are below and the episodes break down as follows:
Tim Sylvia
A 6’8” giant who twice punched his way to the UFC title, Tim Sylvia loomed over the heavyweight landscape throughout his six year run, dating from 2002 – 2008, in the world’s leading MMA organization. A polarizing figure during his MMA career, “the Maine-iac” fought a who’s who of his era including Frank Mir, Randy Couture and Minotauro Nogueira.
In his episode of WATN, the former champion reflects on his eventful MMA career, his new endeavors as a building contractor and television hunting show presenter, and how becoming a father changed his life.
WATN teaser:
Free fight vs Rico Rodriguez (UFC 41): https://www.ufc.tv/video/tim-
Marcus Davis
Before Conor McGregor, Irish MMA found a hero in fiercely proud Irish-American Marcus Davis. The “Irish Hand Grenade” was a boxer who switched to MMA and was involved in 15 UFC bouts including memorable wars with Chris Lytle, Dan Hardy and Nate Diaz.
Sharing a day in his post-retirement life as a coach and gym owner, Davis reflects on his memorable UFC run and how he is adjusting to contributing to the sport outside of the Octagon.
WATN teaser:
Free Fight vs Paul Taylor (UFC 75): https://www.ufc.tv/video/
Marco Ruas
Although he only competed in two UFC events, with his unique mix of submission and striking skills Marco Ruas is undoubtedly one of the progenitors of modern mixed martial arts. A Luta Livre fighter who competed in ‘anything goes’ bouts in the mid-1980s, Ruas made his UFC debut at UFC 7, going on to win the tournament and made the semi-finals of the Ultimate Ultimate event in 1995, before moving on to other promotions including PRIDE®.
WATN finds the 57-year-old former “King of the Streets” at peace with the legacy he left to the sport.
WATN teaser:
Free Fight vs Paul Varelans (UFC 7): https://www.ufc.tv/video/
Josh Haynes
With the distinctive dyed blue hair and the unforgettable story of drawing courage from his son’s battle with cancer, Josh Haynes struck a memorable character during the third season of The Ultimate Fighter® in 2006.
Haynes met Michael Bisping in the series finale, but while the Bisping is now the reigning UFC middleweight champion, Haynes has moved on from MMA completely.
WATN teaser:
Free fight vs Jesse Forbes (TUF 3) https://www.ufc.tv/video/josh-
Pete Spratt
College football standout Pete Spratt made his MMA debut in 1999, and over the next 14 years fought the best of his era, including Carlos Newton, Georges St-Pierre and Robbie Lawler.
A cast member of the ‘comeback’ season of The Ultimate Fighter over a decade ago Spratt, in shape at 46-years-old, tells WATN he is planning a final bout in 2017 while also balancing teaching MMA, a music career and being a father.
WATN teaser:
Free Fight vs Robbie Lawler (UFC 42): https://www.ufc.tv/video/pete-
Joe Stevenson
A popular fighter who won the second season of The Ultimate Fighter, Joe “Daddy” Stevenson fought some of the biggest names in the UFC’s lightweight division including: BJ Penn for the 155-pound UFC title and defeating Nate Diaz in a Fight of the Night bout.
But, as WATN found, his greatest battle came after the Octagon when a deep depression and alcoholism threatened to derail his life.
WATN clip:
Free Fight vs Melvin Guillard (UFC Fight Night): https://www.ufc.tv/video/joe-
Interview Opportunities: If you are interested in interviewing any of the WATN subjects, please contact Josh Eldridge at 702-558-5553 or jeldridge@ufc.com to request time for an interview.
