Cast announced for new season of The Ultimate Fighter

New York, NY, March 1, 2010 – The 11th season of Spike TV’s most popular original series ever, “The Ultimate Fighter,” for the first time will feature 28 of the best up and coming mixed martial artists in the world competing for 14 spots in “The Ultimate Fighter” house. The series boasts a new format, which will be introduced to viewers in the show’s premiere episode. Watch cast video

The smash hit will also feature two coaches who need no introduction to mixed martial arts fans, UFC legends Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Tito “The Huntington Beach Badboy.”  The new season premieres Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 10:00 PM ET/PT featuring the following cast members:

RICH ATTONITO

Fighting out of: Deerfield Beach, FL / American Top Team      

Record: 7-3

Age: 32

A 2001 graduate of Hofstra University in Long Island, Rich Attonito wrestled several different weight classes as a member of the Pride wrestling team including the 167lb. and 197lb. divisions.  Attonito has been training with American Top Team since he moved to Florida in 2006.  He is the strength and conditioning coach for UFC veteran Luigi Fioravanti.

SETH BACZYNSKI

Fighting out of: Canyon, AZ / Apex MMA

Record: 11-5

Age: 28

Training partner to TUF alums Santino DeFranco (season 9) and Efrain Escudero (season 8) at Apex MMA in Arizona, Seth Baczynski is a full-time water inspector at Liberty Water.

CHARLES BLANCHARD

Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, FL / American Top Team

Record: 7-2

Age: 24

A 2-time All State wrester in high school, this single father is a jiu-jitsu brown belt and a published poet.  

JOSH BRYANT

Fighting out of: Tulsa, OK / Absolute Combat Alliance

Record: 10-0

Age: 29

A member of the Absolute Combat Alliance camp in Tulsa, OK, Josh Bryant sports a perfect 10-0 professional mixed martial arts record.  When not training, Bryant works as a manager for Mazzio’s Italian Eatery in Oklahoma.

CHRIS CAMOZZI

Fighting out of: Denver, CO / Gumm MMA

Record: 11-3  

Age: 22

Camozzi is a freestyle fighter from Denver that works as a bouncer in his spare time.  Two of his three losses are to TUF alums Jesse Forbes (season 3) and Jesse Taylor (season 7).

BRENT COOPER

Fighting out of: Long Beach, CA / Team Oyama

Record: 5-1

Age: 31

Of Sioux Indian descent, Cooper is a pipeliner by day for Shell Oil, and a devastating striker by night, with four of his five wins coming via TKO.

JACEN FLYNN

Fighting out of: Meridian, ID / No camp

Record: 8-2

Age: 31

Jacen Flynn possesses an 8-2 mixed martial arts record that includes wins over Dennis Kang and Dean Lister.  Away from the Octagon™, he is a social worker.

JAMES HAMMORTREE

Fighting out of: Ocala, FL / USA Martial Arts

Record: 4-0

Age: 23

Following one season at Weber International, where he starred on the football team as a linebacker and on special teams, Hammortree left the program in order to become a full-time firefighter in Ocala, FL.  The former high school wrestler owns a 4-0 professional record with all four of those bouts taking place in 2009.

JOSEPH HENLE

Fighting out of: Thousand Oaks, CA / Big John McCarthy’s MMA

Record: 3-0

Age: 26

Joseph Henle splits time training at Big John McCarthy’s MMA and working as a substitute teacher and wrestling coach in Thousand Oaks, CA. Henle earned his MBA in Financial Planning from California Lutheran University in ’06.  He speaks fluent Japanese.   

CHARLEY LYNCH

Fighting out of: Mound, MN / Northway MMA

Record: 6-0

Age: 25

The self-proclaimed baddest man in Minnesota, Charley Lynch owns a 6-0 professional record with zero of his bouts going to decision.

KRIS MCCRAY

Fighting out of: Dumfries, VA / Chute Boxe

Record: 5-0

Age: 28

Son of a military father, Kris McCray was raised in Germany, where he excelled on the soccer pitch and garnered All-Europe honors in high school.  In 1999, McCray moved permanently to the United States, where he has served parts of 8 years (6 active, 2 inactive) as a member of the US Army Reserve, while also finding time to earn his Associates Degree in Social Studies from Northern Virginia Community College.

COURT MCGEE

Fighting out of:  Orem, UT / Throwdown Elite Fight Team

Record: 9-1

Age: 24

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist out of Orem, UT, Court McGee beat “The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom” runner-up DaMarques Johnson in 2007 by submission

CLAYTON MCKINNEY

Fighting out of: Orlando, FL / Jungle MMA     

Record: 4-2

Age: 27

A teammate of TUF (season 8) alum Tom Lawlor at Jungle MMA, Clayton McKinney is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt that supplements his training by working security at a local bar in Orlando.

KYLE NOKE

Fighting out of: Albuquerque, NM / Jackson’s MMA

Record: 16-4-1

Age: 29

Kyle Noke, from Mooloolaba, Australia, is the former bodyguard of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.  Currently training with Jackson’s MMA in New Mexico, Noke defeated TUF (season 6) alum George Sotiropoulos in June 2005 and current castmate Kyacey Uscola this past September.

VICTOR O’DONNELL

Fighting out of: Milford, OH / Vision MMA

Record: 8-1

Age: 27

Hailing from Milford, OH, O’Donnell suffered his first professional loss this past September against cast mate Costantinos Philippou. Before that, he had won eight contests, seven of which by submission.

NORMAN PARAISY

Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, FL / American Top Team

Record: 5-1

Age: 23

Norman Paraisy was born and raised Paris, France.  The 5-1 Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist left France in order to pursue MMA in the states and is now a member of the American Top Team.

COSTANTINOS PHILIPPOU

Fighting out of: Merrick, NY / Serra-Longo

Record: 5-1

Age: 30

Costantinos Philippou is a former boxer with 3 professional and over 80 amateur fights on his record.  The 30-year-old server from Merrick, NY was born and raised in Greece.  He currently trains out of the Serra-Longo camp.

GREG REBELLO

Fighting out of: Buzzards Bay, MA / Sityodtong USA

Record: 9-2

Age: 27

Greg Rebello trains full-time at Sityodtong USA in Massachusetts under the watchful eye of Mark DellaGrotte.  Currently in peak physical condition, Rebello at one time weighed in over 300lbs before dedicating himself to fitness at the age of 18.

NICK RING

Fighting out of: Calgary, Canada / B.D.P. Martial Arts

Record: 10-0

Age: 30

Nick Ring returned to MMA in May 2009 following a three year stint away from the sport after suffering a devastating knee injury.  In that time, Ring boxed professionally to the tune of a 4-1 record with 3 knockouts.

JORDAN SMITH

Fighting out of: Clearfield, UT / Throwdown Elite Fight Team

Record: 10-0

Age: 24

A 7th grade teacher by day, Jordan Smith is a former professional boxer that trains with fellow cast member Court McGee at Throwdown Elite Fight Team.

BEN STARK

Fighting out of: Tamarac, FL / American Top Team

Record: 3-1

Age: 27

Born and raised a practitioner of the Orthodox Jewish religion until the age of 6, Ben Stark began training with American Top Team in Florida as a sophomore in college. When not at the gym, Stark picks up shifts at “The Original Fat Cats,” and also finds time to breed snakes.  

LYLE STEFFENS

Fighting out of: Tucson, AZ / Apex MMA

Record: 5-2

Age: 26

Lyle Steffens is a firefighter and an EMT in Tucson, AZ.  He trains with fellow cast member Seth Baczynski at Apex MMA.

BRAD TAVARES

Fighting out of: Las Vegas, NV / TapouT

Record: 4-0

Age: 21

At 21, Brad Tavares is the youngest of this season’s cast members.  Originally from Hilo, HI, Tavares recently relocated to Las Vegas and trains full-time with TapouT

WARREN THOMPSON

Fighting out of: Marietta, GA / Team Khunpon / Roberto Traven BJJ

Record: 5-0

Age: 23

Warren Thompson, aka “The Kool-Aid Man,” is a muay-thai fighter from Marietta, GA.  The volunteer firefighter splits his training in Atlanta between Team Khunpon and Roberto Traven BJJ.

KYACEY USCOLA

Fighting out of: Sacramento, CA / Team Alpha Male

Record: 18-15

Age: 28

Kyacey Uscola joins the cast with 33 professional MMA fights on his record.  He trains with Team Alpha Male and Urijah Faber out of Sacramento.

CLEBURN WALKER

Fighting out of: Keller, TX / Team Lutter

Record: 9-3

Age: 26

Born and raised in Texas, Cleburn Walker is a full-time fighter and instructor at Team Lutter.  He suffered a recent loss via submission to TUF (season 3) alum Jesse Forbes this past June.

WOODY WEATHERBY

Fighting out of: Hudson, NH / Renzo Gracie / Mickey Wards Boxing Gym & Xtreme MMA

Record: 7-3

Age: 27

The former US Navy officer currently works full-time as a corrections officer for the Hillsborough County jail in Manchester, NH.  Weatherby rotates his training between 2 gyms: Renzo Gracie Academy in Derry, NH, and Mickey Wards Boxing Gym & Xtreme MMA.

JAMIE YAGER

Fighting out of: Los Angeles, CA / Kings MMA

Record: 2-1

Age: 25

A standout varsity letterman in baseball and football, Yager was the 2001 Athlete of the Year at South Pasadena High School in California.  He picked up training MMA as a hobby, and went straight from training to the professional ranks in February 2008 as part of BET’s Iron Ring, where he defeated his opponent by TKO.

 

During the six-week taping of “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz,” 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 and a cash prize.  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.