This press release popped into my inbox today from the UFC:
CAST REVEALED FOR
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER®: REDEMPTION
Season premieres Wednesday, April 19 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1
Las Vegas – The landmark 25th season of FS1’s highest-rated and most-watched original series, The Ultimate Fighter® premieres Wednesday, April 19 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1. This season 14 former cast members will compete for redemption in the tournament comprised of welterweights and the largest cash prize in the show’s history. The competitors will be coached by bantamweight world champion Cody Garbrandt and No. 2 contender TJ Dillashaw. All of the athletes have previously competed on the series and the cast includes a member of the current UFC® roster in James Krause as well as two previous winners of The Ultimate Fighter, with Joe Stevenson winning season two and Eddie Gordon capturing the honor during season 19.
Undefeated 135-pound kingpin Garbrandt (11-0, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) has become one of the most exciting and feared fighters in mixed martial arts. At just 25 years old, “No Love,” the No. 5 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and has nine knockouts in 11 pro fights – seven in the first round. Garbrandt defeated longtime champion Dominick Cruz in December 2016 in dominating fashion and now has his sights set on former Team Alpha Male training partner and fierce rival, Dillashaw.
Former bantamweight champion Dillashaw (15-3, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) has come full circle in his UFC career. He entered the company as a competitor on season 14 and is now coaching a team of his own. While the No. 14 pound-for-pound fighter in the world did not win his season, he’s one of only six athletes to compete on The Ultimate Fighter to go on to win UFC gold and is no doubt hoping to become a two-time champion at the season’s end.
The show will feature 12 episodes airing Wednesdays on FS1. Each episode’s winner will advance in the tournament, with the two semi-finalists meeting at the finale in July for a UFC contract and a $250,000 prize.
Below is a full list of competitors (name, professional record, age and fighting out of):
| Seth Baczynski – 20-14, 35, Gilbert, Ariz. | Julian Lane – 11-6, 29, Mansfield, Ohio |
| Mehdi Baghdad – 11-5, 31, Los Angeles, Calif. | Dhiego Lima – 12-5, 28, Dacula, Ga. |
| Justin Edwards – 9-5, 34, Bellefontaine, Ohio | Ramsey Nijem – 9-6, 28, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Tom Gallicchio – 19-9, 30, Temecula, Calif. | Gilbert Smith – 12-6, 35, Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| Eddie Gordon – 8-4, 33, Freeport, N.Y. | Joe Stevenson – 33-16, 34, Victorville, Calif. |
| Hayder Hassan – 6-3, 34, Coconut Creek, Fla. | Jesse Taylor – 30-15, 34, Temecula, Calif. |
| James Krause – 23-7, 30, Lee’s Summit, Mo. | Hector Urbina – 17-10, 29, Coconut Creek, Calif. |
For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and follow us on Twitter @UltimateFighter and Facebook.
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