Complete cast of welterweights, middleweights announced for ‘TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia’
The UFC on Thursday revealed the 16 fighters – eight from Canada, eight from Australia – who will make up the cast of the latest international edition of “The Ultimate Fighter.â€
The eight welterweights and eight middleweights range in age from 19 to 36 and range in experience from four fights to 30.
“TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia†is the 22nd edition of the UFC’s long-running reality competition. The show will be coached by UFC veterans Patrick Cote (Canada) and Kyle Noke (Australia), both previous “TUF†cast members, in what will be the fifth international version of the show following two in Brazil, “TUF: Smashes†between Australia and the U.K. and one that just wrapped taping in China.
“TUF Nations†just finished its taping schedule over six weeks in a location just north of Montreal. Like previous editions of “The Ultimate Fighter,†the fighters in each weight class will be vying in a tournament to try to earn a UFC contract.
“If guys thought fighting in the toughest tournament on television was hard, imagine how they feel doing it with a whole country on their shoulders,†UFC President Dana White stated. “These country vs. country seasons of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ are awesome because not only do these guys deal with living in a house with other fighters, training twice a day and putting everything on the line for their dream opportunity, but now it’s even more personal – it’s patriotic. Next season, we lined up one of the deepest talent pools with some of the toughest up-and-coming fighters and put national bragging rights on the line along with the UFC contract.â€
The season’s youngest fighter is middleweight Tyler Manawaroa (10-0), a Queensland-based Australian with nine stoppage wins on his record. And three 36-year-olds are on the cast. Canada’s welterweight Luke Harris (10-2) has experience for Maximum Fighting Championship and King of the Cage. And Australia’s Vik Grujic (6-2) and Daniel Kelly (6-0) both are based in Melbourne.
Cote (19-8 MMA, 6-8 UFC), a former middleweight title challenger and “TUF 4″ runner-up, is on a 6-1 run, which included a recent welterweight debut and a decision victory over Bobby Voelker. He’s currently in his fifth stint with the UFC.
Noke (20-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC), a quarterfinalist on “TUF 11,†won his first three UFC fights. Recently he halted a two-fight skid with a TKO victory over Charlie Brenneman at UFC 152. He’s been on the sidelines since the September fight due to a shoulder injury.
The full list of “TUF Nations†fighters includes:
Team Australia Welterweights
Chris Indich (6-1), 26, Perth
Jake Matthews (6-0), 19, Melbourne
Brendan O’Reilly (5-0), 26, Brisbane
Richard Walsh (7-1), 24, Sydney
Team Australia Middleweights
Vik Grujic, 6-2, 36, Melbourne
Daniel Kelly (6-0), 36, Melbourne
Tyler Manawaroa (10-0), 19, Brisbane
Zein Saliba (4-0), 25, Sydney
Team Canada Welterweights
Olivier Aubin-Mercier (4-0), 24, Montreal
Matthew Desroches (4-0), 21, Fredericton
Kajan Johnson (19-10-1), 29, Montreal
Chad Laprise, (7-0), 27, London
Team Canada Middleweights
Luke Harris (10-2), 36, St. Albert
Nordine Taleb (8-2), 32, Montreal
Elias Theodorou (8-0), 25, Toronto
Sheldon Westcott (8-1), 29, St. Albert
