28 Lightweights To Vie For A Six-Figure Contract With The UFC®. Premieres Wednesday, September 15 At 10:00 PM ET/PT On Spike TV
New York, NY, August 3, 2010 – The 12th season of Spike TV’s popular original series, “The Ultimate Fighter,” will feature 28 of the best up-and-coming mixed martial artists in the lightweight division (155 lbs) competing for a six-figure contract with the preeminent mixed martial organization in the world, The Ultimate Fighting Championship®. From Broken Arrow, OK to Los Angeles, CA, to Manchester, England, the 28 fighters, with a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds, have all gathered in Las Vegas with one goal – to become the next “The Ultimate Fighter.” As in prior seasons, 14 of these competitors will win a preliminary bout to gain a place in the Ultimate Fighter House, one step closer to their ultimate goal, whereas the losers of these bouts are sent home. See video of TUF 12 cast
Two of mixed martial arts’ biggest stars – UFC welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St-Pierre, and the number one contender to his belt, Josh Koscheck, will serve as coaches this season. The two will square off as coaches during the 12 week run of the show, and will later meet inside the Octagon™ with the welterweight title on the line at a UFC pay-per-view event. The new season premieres Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 10:00 PM ET/PT featuring the following cast members:
JASON AMBROSE: Fighting out of: Santa Clara, CA/ AKA Record: 12-2 Age: 23
PAUL BARROW: Fighting out of: Tampa, FL/ Gracie Tampa Record: 2-0 Age: 24
JASON BRENTON: Fighting out of: Grand Junction, CO/ 8th St., Impact Boxing Record: 6-0 Age: 23
JONATHAN BROOKINS: Fighting out of: Orlando, FL/ Gracie Barra Orlando Record: 11-2 Age: 24
MIKE BUDNIK: Fighting out of: Broken Arrow, OK/ Triton Record: 8-4 Age: 35
ALEX CACERES: Fighting out of: Miami, FL/ Young Tigers Foundation Record: 4-2 Age: 21
SAKO CHIVITCHIAN: Fighting out of: Glendale, CA/ Gokor/ Gene Le Bell/ Hayastan MMA Record: 5-0 Age: 26
JOSEPH DUFFY Fighting out of: Donegal, Ireland / Falcons Martial Arts Record: 7-0 Age: 22
PABLO GARZA: Fighting out of: Fargo, ND/ Academy of Combat Arts Record: 7-0 Age: 26
TOBY GREAR: Fighting out of: Los Angeles, CA/ True Warrior Record: 7-4-1 Age: 30
DANIEL HEAD: Fighting out of: Sharpsville, IN/ Ibjja Record: 6-2 Age: 23
MICHAEL JOHNSON: Fighting out of: Springfield, MO/ Springfield Fight Club Record: 8-4 Age: 23
AMIR KHILLAH: Fighting out of: Kalamazoo, MI/ Jeremy Horn’s Elite Record: 6-4 Age: 30
JEFF LENTZ: Fighting out of: Lanoka Harbor, NJ/ Kurt Pellegrino MMA Record: 6-1 Age: 21
SEVAK MAGAKIAN: Fighting out of: Glendale, CA/ Hayastan MMA/ Main Event Record: 8-3 Age: 24
STEVE MAGDALENO: Fighting out of: Torrance, CA/ VMAT Record: 5-1 Age: 28
ANDY MAIN: Fighting out of: Boonton, NJ/ AMA Fight Club Record: 4-1 Age: 21
CODY MCKENZIE: Fighting out of: Metaline, WA/ Fancy Pants Fight Team Record: 10-0 Age: 22
NAM PHAN: Fighting out of: Garden Grove, CA/ Ma Du Academy Record: 15-7 Age: 27
MICHAEL RICHMAN: Fighting out of: Rosemount, MN/ MN Fight Factory Record: 8-0 Age: 24
DANE SAYERS: Fighting out of: Fargo, ND/ Academy of Combat Arts Record: 7-1 Age: 22
ARIEL SEXTON: Fighting out of: San Jose, CA/ Renzo Gracie Record: 6-3 Age: 28
MARC STEVENS: Fighting out of: Lorraine, NY/ Team Balance/ Relson Gracie Record: 12-5 Age: 24
KYLE WATSON: Fighting out of: St. Louis, MO/ The Hit Squad Record: 13-6-1 Age: 30
RAN WEATHERS: Fighting out of: Albuquerque, NM/ Greg Jackson’s MMA Record: 13-5 Age: 28
AARON WILKINSON: Fighting out of: Manchester, England/ Wolfslair MMA Academy Record: 6-3 Age: 23
During the six-week taping of “The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck,” the competitors endured a grueling regimen of jiu-jitsu, judo, Muay Thai, karate, boxing and wrestling. The intense competition among the fighters continues after they leave the gym – at the Ultimate Fighter House. These warriors must live together, knowing that any day they might be forced to fight each other in the famed UFC Octagon™.
The two finalists will square off in a live finale on Spike TV, where the winner will be declared “The Ultimate Fighter” and net the six-figure contract. UFC President Dana White will once again serve as host of the series.
After each show, Spike.com users will get exclusive extended footage from each episode and an exclusive video leak of the upcoming episode.
Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films and Television, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White of Zuffa, LLC, and Kevin Kay of Spike TV are the show's executive producers. Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, sports & specials, Spike TV is co-executive producer and Christopher Martello is executive in charge of production for Spike TV.
Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.
