UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum were officially announced as the coaches for “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” and they will meet in Mexico City at UFC 180 on November 15th.
UFC President Dana White made the announcement today during a press conference in Mexico City.
“I’m very excited about this – amazing talent is going to come out of Mexico and Latin America,” said White. “This is a region we are working hard to develop. There is a lot of talent and a lot of great potential in multiple weight classes. We know that the fans in Mexico and throughout Latin America will totally get behind this thing and it’ll blow up and it’ll be huge just like Brazil.”
The reality show will begin filming on May 12th in Las Vegas and will feature fighters in the bantamweight (135 lbs) and featherweight (145 lbs) divisions. The show will debut on August 18th and will air on Televisa Channel 5 in Mexico and additional Free to Air Networks in Latin America.
“For me, it’s an honor to be named the first coach of The Ultimate Fighter Latin America,” said Velasquez. “I’m excited to share my experience and help train a young team of up and coming Latin American men. And then, to be able to do something I’ve always dreamed of doing, defending my title in Mexico in November, will be a dream come true.”
After the reality show concludes, the live finale will be part of UFC 180 on November 15 in Mexico City. The fight card will come from the Arena Ciudad de Mexico and Velasquez will defend the UFC heavyweight title against Werdum in the main event. Tickets for this event will go on sale August 26th and the UFC will be releasing more details on this event in the coming months.