With three new additions, TUF 19 Finale lineup could be light on cast members
With the addition of three new bouts to the fight card, The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale could feature a lineup that’s light on cast members.
UFC President Dana White recently called the 19th domestic installment of the long-running reality series “without a doubt the worst season†and said it was the “least motivated the fighters have ever been.â€
So when the FOX Sport 1 series wraps up July 6 with The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale, which airs live on FOX Sports 1 from Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center, don’t expect the usual pattern of eliminated cast members getting a second chance on the event’s undercard.
Three new bouts with non-cast members are official for the card. With the planned “TUF 19″ tourney finals, the card now features 10 bouts. Recent TUF Finales have averaged 11 matchups.
Among the new additions is a bantamweight bout between ONE FC vet Leandro Issa (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who suffered a submission loss to Russell Doane in his UFC debut, and China’s Jumabieke Tuerxun (14-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who dropped a decision to Mark Eddiva in his promotional debut and suffered his first pro loss.
Also joining the card are lightweights Adriano Martins (25-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs. Juan Manuel Puig (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and light heavyweights Robert Drysdale (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Keith Berish (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
The latest TUF 19 Finale lineup now includes:
Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn
TBA vs. TBA – “TUF 19″ middleweight tournament final
TBA vs. TBA – “TUF 19″ light heavyweight tournament final
Guto Inocente vs. Derrick Lewis
Dustin Ortiz vs. Justin Scoggins
Kevin Lee vs. Jesse Ronson
Leandro Issa vs. Jumabieke Tuerxun
Adriano Martins vs. Juan Manuel Puig
Alexis Dufresne vs. Sarah Moras
Keith Berish vs. Robert Drysdale
