"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" Cast Unveiled

[Swinny]

'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' cast unveiled with 32 featherweights and middleweights
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Mar 12, 2012 at 9:50 am ET

The fighters competing in the first-ever international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" have been revealed.

"TUF: Brazil," which features UFC notables Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva as coaches, streams in the U.S. on UFC.com (simultaneously as it debuts March 25 in Brazil on Globo) and airs on FUEL TV (air times TBA).

A total of 32 featherweights and middleweights take part in the competition-reality series, the winners of which earn UFC contracts.

As with the recently debuted 15th U.S. edition of the reality show – "TUF: Live," which debuted this past Friday on U.S. – "TUF: Brazil" features an elimination round of fights. All winners of the those fights become official cast members. They then compete in the two tournaments, which are the focus of the reality show's regular-season run.

While most of the fighters are veterans of the Brazilian scene and largely undiscovered talent (in North America), there are a few notables, including featherweight Rodrigo Damm, a former Strikeforce and World Victory Road/Sengoku fighter, and 10-time IFL veteran Delson Heleno. However, notable Hacran Dias (20-1), one of the country's top prospects, isn't on the list.

The full list of "TUF: Brazil" fighters (courtesy globoesporte.com) includes:

Featherweights

Alexandre Ramos (5-0)
Rodrigo Damm (9-5)
Rony Mariano Bezerra (10-3)
Godofredo Pepey (8-0)
Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini (19-3-1)
Medeiros Anistavio (12-7)
Johnny Goncalves (4-0)
Hugo Viana (5-0)
Fernando Duarte Guerra (10-1)
John Teixeira (13-0-1)
Rafael Bueno (7-1)
Wagner Campos (11-3)
Pedro Nobre (10-0-1)
Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva (14-1)
Dileno Lopes (8-0)
Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. (10-1)

Middleweights

Sergio Moraes (6-1)
Cezar Ferreira (4-2)
Leonardo Mafra Teixeira (5-0)
Daniel Sarafian (7-2)
Gustavo Sampaio (5-1)
Richardson Moreira (3-0)
Fabio Luiz Vital da Costa (9-0-1)
Renee Forte (7-1)
Joao Paulo de Souza (8-4)
Francisco Drinaldo (10-1)
Thiago Rela (3-1)
Charles Maicon (8-1)
Gilberto Galvao (19-4-1)
Thiago de Oliveira Perpetuo (8-1-1)
Samuel Trindade (6-1)
Delson Heleno (23-6)

Silva vs. Belfort, as well as the two tourney finals, are slotted to fight at UFC 147. The event takes place in June in either Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. Fellow Brazilian and middleweight champ Anderson Silva headlines the event opposite Chael Sonnen.

Unlike "TUF: Live," "TUF: Brazil" uses the show's traditional format in which all content, including the in-house drama and fights, is pre-taped. The show currently is in production.

 

[Catfish Billy]

UFC are really trying to expand their Brazilian market, there's a lot more demographics that they could go after. It's pretty funny that they've already acknowledged that TUF:Live is a failure.

 

[Swinny]

UFC are really trying to expand their Brazilian market, there's a lot more demographics that they could go after. It's pretty funny that they've already acknowledged that TUF:Live is a failure.

How did they acknowledge that it's a failure? Dana White said it was "perfect", that's pretty far from acknowledging it as a failure. :tongue1:

And other demographics or not, they're some solid names here and I think the Brazil season will be great.

 

[Catfish Billy]

How did they acknowledge that it's a failure? Dana White said it was "perfect", that's pretty far from acknowledging it as a failure. :tongue1:

And other demographics or not, they're some solid names here and I think the Brazil season will be great.

He says it was perfect and gets rid of it after one season. White will say anything to sell his shit.

 

[Swinny]

He says it was perfect and gets rid of it after one season. White will say anything to sell his shit.

How are they getting rid of it?

 

[Catfish Billy]

Unlike "TUF: Live," "TUF: Brazil" uses the show's traditional format in which all content, including the in-house drama and fights, is pre-taped. The show currently is in production.

This is how. It's a smart idea too.

 

[Swinny]

This is how. It's a smart idea too.

Yes, but this was all planned long before they went with the live idea. The next American one will likely be live as well.