16-member cast revealed for 'The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America'
Filming has gotten underway for the UFC’s latest international edition of “The Ultimate Fighter,†and the cast has been revealed for coaches Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum.
“TUF: Latin America†currently is filming in Las Vegas with 16 total fighters in the cast, comprised of the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Velasquez and Werdum will coach eight fighters each, four in each division.
Velasquez, a Mexican-American, will coach a team made up entirely of fighters from Mexico. Werdum, from Brazil, coaches fighters from Central America and South America.
The 12-episode season will debut in August on UFC Fight Pass in the United States. Velasquez, the UFC’s heavyweight champion, will defend his title against Werdum at UFC 180 on Nov. 15 in Mexico City, the promotion’s first event in that country. The card also will serve as the location for the bantamweight and featherweight finals of “TUF: Latin America.â€
“I’ve been waiting 15 years for this,†UFC President Dana White stated. “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.â€
According to the UFC, the 16 cast members was pared down from more than 600 applicants.
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
