The Ultimate Fighter Latin America: Team Velasquez vs. Team Werdum recently began filming in Las Vegas and the UFC has announced the cast for the reality show.
Along with announcing the cast, the UFC also revealed that the reality show will be available to United State subscribers of Fight Pass and will premiere in August.
“I’ve been waiting 15 years for this,” said UFC President Dana White. “Passion for fighting is unrivaled in Latin America. It’s part of their history and their culture. There’s a lot of potential in this season’s cast and I know they’re going to bring it every fight. Adding a little extra rivalry – pitting Mexico versus the rest of Latin America – doesn’t hurt either.”
The Ultimate Fighter Latin America: Team Velasquez vs. Team Werdum will be shown in the following countries: Argentina: CN5, Bolivia: Red Uno, Mexico: Channel.5, Nicaragua: Channel 13, Panama: NexTV, Paraguay: Telefuturo and Uruguay: Channel 10. The season will premiere on these Networks the week of August 18, though dates and weekly episodes will vary per country. Viewers should check their local listings for further information.
More networks will be confirmed prior to the series premiere and, additionally, subscribers to the UFC Network in Latin America will also get the chance to catch replays and watch exclusive content.
This version of the reality show will feature fighters in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. The teams will be coached by UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and number one title contender Fabricio Werdum. Following the conclusion of the reality show, Velasquez and Werdum will meet in the main event of UFC 180 on November 15th at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City.
The UFC received more than 600 applications from fighters to be on this version of the reality show and the show will feature fighters from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. The complete cast is listed by weight class and alphabetical order (Name, professional MMA record, age, hometown) below.
Team Velasquez:
Bantamweight
Marco Beltran (5-2), 27, Morelia, Mexico
Henry Briones (13-4), 33, Tijuana, Mexico
Alejandro Dominguez (22-6), Tlatenango, Mexico
Jose Quinonez (10-1), 23, Tlatenango, Mexico
Featherweight
Gabriel Benitez (16-4), 25, Tijuana, Mexico
Masio Fullen (6-4), 27, Guadalajara, Mexico
Yair Rodriguez (2-1), 22, Parral, Mexico
Rodolfo Rubio (12-6), 27, DF, Mexico
Team Werdum:
Bantamweight
Guido Cannetti (5-1), 34, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Fredy Serrano (1-0), 34, Bogota, Colombia
Bentley Syler (5-0), 31, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Marlon Vera (5-1), 22, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Featherweight
Humberto Brown (4-4), 29, Panama City, Panama
Leonardo Morales (4-0), 21, Managua, Nicaragua
Diego Rivas (5-0), 22, Temuco, Chile
Alex Torres (1-1), 25, Bogota, Colombia