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The Ultimate Fighter Biographies

Season 1

Alex Karalexis (Season 1)
This avid Red Sox fan and Boston resident currently has a 4-0 Mixed Martial Arts record fighting out of his native Beantown. The 27 year-old former high school soccer star studied one year at Massassoyt College in Mass. before becoming a carpenter. He is also cousins with MTV v-jay Foolproof.

Alex Schoenauer (Season 1)
Born in Argentina, Alex works and trains in Las Vegas. The 28 year-old works in developing engineering industrial products and is a graduate of Montana St. University where he played football. Ranked #32 in the US in power-lifting, he also competes in jiu jitsu and boxing. A huge fan of NBA legend, Michael Jordan, Alex spends his spare time catching rattlesnakes in the desert.

Bobby Southworth (Season 1)
This former UC Davis basketball point guard was a sports junkie growing up in Santa Cruz, CA. The 34 year-old UPS Driver with two kids (12 year old daughter and 4 year old son) currently lives and competes in martial arts in San Jose, CA. Bobby is an avid reader especially J.R.R. Tolkein and mystery novels.

Chris Leben (Season 1)
An avid snowboarder and dirt-biker, Chris is an outdoor enthusiast from Portland, Oregon. The 24 year-old has been boxing and wrestling since middle school. In high school he was a district champion wrestler and currently trains and competes out of his hometown of Portland.

Christopher Sanford (Season 1)
This 36 year-old is the oldest member of “Ultimate Fighter” and graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in Economics and a minor in Japanese. Born in Boston, Christopher currently lives and trains in the San Francisco area and works in internet security. Proficient in boxing and Muay Thai, Chjristopher enjoys traveling, cooking, and visiting museums.

Diego Sanchez (Season 1)
Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this 22-year old began karate lessons at nine years old. Years of martial arts training aided his athletic pursuits at Del Norde High School as a wrestler and on the high school gridiron as a linebacker. In his senior year in 2000, Diego won the state championship in the 152 lb weight class and etched his name amongst the best ever grapplers in school history. He currently trains in Albuquerque at Gaidojutsu and is following his dream to be the next great UFC superstar. His current MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) record is 14-0.

Forrest Griffin (Season 1)
The Augusta, Ga. police officer is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia. Born in Cleveland, this 25 year-old enjoys old movies with Cary Grant, Chuck Pahlunik novels, and traveling.

Jason Thacker (Season 1)
An alternate on the 1988 Canadian Olympics Gymnastics team, Jason lives in rural British Columbia in the small town of Whonnuck. A Vancouver Film School graduate, he has worked as an animation animator for the past six years and has worked on projects for high profile clients such as Disney and Pokemon. A lifelong fan of Bruce Lee, this 29 year-old was a county champion wrestler in high school in the 170 lb. class.

Josh Koscheck (Season 1)
Josh K. is a 4-time Division I All-American wrestler at Edinboro College (174lb weight class) and 2001 National Champion. Currently the Assistant Wrestling Coach at the University of Buffalo, this 27 year-old is a native of Pittsburgh. During high school in the Steel City, Josh K. was a standout wrestler and football player. When he’s not teaching his grappling skills, Josh K. is a street bike enthusiast who competes locally.       

Josh Rafferty (Season 1)
The pride of Cincinnati, Ohio, 23 year-old Josh R. is a personal trainer and student at Cincinnati St. where he’s pursuing a degree in Business Administration. Nicknamed “Utah” by the other castmates, Josh has been practicing judo since the age of six years old and was a standout wrestler in high school. An avid Bengals, Reds, and U. Cincinnati Bearcats’ fan, Josh’s goal is a career in real estate investing. His brother is in Iraq working in private security.

Kenny Florian (Season 1)
The Boston native works in financial translation service for the Spanish and Portugese communities. The 28 year-old is a graduate of Boston College with a degree in Communications. An all-state soccer player, Kenny roots for both the World Champion Red Sox and Patriots. An avid chess player interested in Buddhism, Kenny has traveled extensively and once lived in Brazil.

Loudune Sincaid (Season 1)
This 31 year-old St. Paul, Minnesota native has re-located to North Hollywood to train with mixed martial arts giants, Gene Lubell and Benny “The Jet” Ukides. Loudune was an All-Conference wrestler in high school in the 160lb. class. One of the senior members of “Ultimate Fighter,” he is proficient in various forms of martial arts including taekwondo.

Mike Swick (Season 1)
A Houston, Texas native, Mike has competed in kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Mixed-Martial Arts all over the world from Russia to Thailand. Competing in various forms of martial arts since he was eight years old, Mike was a standout wide receiver and safety in high school. This 25 year-old currently lives and competes in San Jose, CA. A traveling enthusiast, Mike lists England, Australia, and Japan among his favorite places he’s visited. 

Nathan Quarry (Season 1)
The 31 year-old real estate investor and entrepreneur from Salem, OR began his Mixed Martial Arts career seven years ago and is a huge fan of UFC superstar Randy Couture. The comic book aficionado currently fights out of Portland, OR and has a five year-old daughter.

Sam Hoger (Season 1)
An avid chess player who freely quotes Socrates and Nietzsche, he is a graduate of LSU with two Political Science degrees (Theory and Government) and is currently studying for his MBA at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa. Born in Louisiana, Sam has lived in Germany, Panama, and eventually Eagle River, Alaska where he attended Chugaik High School. Sam, a 24 year-old aspiring lawyer began practicing karate at six years old and currently trains Brazilian Jujitsu in Anchorage. He was also the founder of the Brazilian Jujitsu Club at LSU.   

Stephan Bonnar (Season 1)
Currently attending graduate school in Chicago for Muscle Activation Therapy, this Munster, Indiana native is proficient in various forms of martial arts. Growing up idolizing Bruce Lee, Stefan has excelled at jujitsu, taekwondo, wrestling, and was a local 2-time Golden Gloves champion in the super-heavyweight division. He is also a personal trainer with a degree in Sports Medicine from Purdue University.

Season 2

Rob MacDonald (Season 2)
Rob fulfilled one his dreams in life by becoming a police officer and serving for the past 1 ½ years in his native Mississauga, Ontario. The only Canadian citizen on The Ultimate Fighter Season II, Rob was a nationally ranked wrestler at St. Charles College (high school) in Ontario and also excelled on the football and track teams. He graduated Western Ontario University with degrees in English and Psychology. The 26 year-old has been participating in MMA for three years and trains with Team Tomkins. His current professional MMA record is 3-0. The Toronto Raptors fan is inspired by his father and former railway engineer, Ranald, who passed away. His cousin, Miranda, stars on the cable series, “Degrassi Junior High: The New Class.”

Keith Jardine (Season 2)
Keith previously worked as a real life bounty-hunter for a bail bondsman in Canoga Park, California. The 29 year-old has a 9-1-1 professional MMA record and lives and trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico with among others, Season I middleweight champion, Diego Sanchez. Keith also was a professional boxer with a 3-0-1 record, and professional kickboxer with a 1-0 record. He was a two-sport star in high school, city champion in wrestling in the heavyweight class and All-City Football as linebacker. He attended Pierce College in Los Angeles before playing defensive line at New Mexico Highlands University. The foreign films buff is a big fan of the Coen Brothers.

Kerry Schall (Season 2)
The 33 year-old is the elder statesman for Season II of The Ultimate Fighter. The Kankakee, Illinois native was a football and wrestling star at Herscher High School outside of Chicago. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in electrical engineering, he spent the next seven years out of the sports arena as a service engineer at a plastics company. One random night he was talked into competing in an MMA fight in Cincinnati and Kerry knocked out his opponent in 14 seconds. Kerry became hooked and began training to hone his natural MMA talents. Six years later this father of two has a 19-6 professional MMA record and trains with The Ultimate Fighter coach Rich Franklin and Season I participant, Josh Rafferty.

Brad Imes (Season 2)
The 6’7 Columbia, Mo. native has only been participating in MMA for the last nine months and already has a 3-0 professional record. Brad played offensive tackle for the University of Missouri and was a starter his senior year. He went on to play professionally for the Arena Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers. The former Strength Coach for the University of Missouri and Texas Christian University football teams, Brad is a loan officer in Sacramento. In his spare time he is an outdoorsman and enjoys hunting.

Seth Petruzelli (Season 2)
The Cape Coral, Florida native was a three-sport star in high school -- All-State centerfielder on the baseball team, All-State wrestler at 215lbs., and threw the shot put and discus on the track team. Seth is a graduate of The University of Central Florida with a degree in Psychology. He began studying karate at six years old and currently trains MMA at one of the legendary Gracie Jiu Jitsu schools in Orlando. His professional MMA record is 8-2, and when not training he works in his family’s real estate business.

Mike Whitehead (Season 2)
The 3-time All-American wrestler grew up in Central Point, Oregon and gained collegiate fame on the mat while attending North Idaho Junior College, Southern Oregon University, and the University of Missouri. He graduated with a degree in Education. At Crater High School, Mike was a state champion wrestler in the 189lb division in 1999 and played defensive lineman in football. He has since moved to Iowa to train with the legendary MMA Team Miletich Fighting with The Ultimate Fighter coach Matt Hughes and Season I participant, Sam Hoger.

Tom Murphy (Season 2)
The 30 year-old from Cooperstown, New York was a four-time All-State wrestler in high school was third in the country in the 190lbs. division. Tom, an academic who enjoys classical music and reading Descartes, graduated Summa at SUNY Brockport in Human Psychology. He currently lives in Philadelphia where he works for Rail America. He is married and has four kids ranging from 1 ½ to 7 years old. He trains with Gracie protégé Julie Fernandez and has a professional MMA record of 4-0.

Rashad Evans (Season 2)
The two-time All-State wrestler at Wheatfield High School in Niagara Falls, New York was also a standout football player at running back and safety. He attended Michigan State and wrestled in the 174lb division. Rashad graduated with a degree in Psychology and currently works at a hospital in Lansing, Michigan, where he lives and trains.

Eli Joslin (Season 2)
The 26 year-old Yosemite, Ca native and Oakland Raiders’ fan played linebacker at Mariposa High School. He currently has a 1-0 professional MMA record and breeds American Bulldogs.

WELTERWEIGHTS
Jorge Gurgel (Season 2)
Born and raised in Fortaleza, Brazil, Jorge moved to the U.S. eight years ago when he was 20 to pursue his career in mixed martial arts. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert is also quite the academic as he received a prestigious scholarship, awarded to only 50 of 14,000 applicants, to study in his native Brazil. After two years of study, he moved to the United States to attend Wright St. University to study international business. Currently living in suburban Cincinnati, Jorge runs seven gyms in the Midwest including ones in Columbus, Dayton, and his main gym in Middletown, OH. Jorge, who is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, trains with The Ultimate Fighter coach Rich Franklin and The Ultimate Fighter Season I participant, Josh Rafferty.

Joe Stevenson (Season 2)
The Victorville, CA native and current resident was an all-state wrestler at Silverado, High School just outside of Los Angeles. The 23 year-old has been competing in mixed martial arts since he was 16 and has a current professional record of 24-6. He has held 5 MMA titles in various weight-classes ranging from 155 to 205. Currently a forklift operator, Joe has two kids, Joey (4 years old) and Tyler (2 years old), and lives with his girlfriend Maria who is a lawyer and female boxer.

Anthony Torres (Season 2)
The pride of Hawaii, Anthony is currently a federal corrections officer at a prison in Oahu. The 26 year-old is a member of the prison SWAT Team and is a self defense instructor for the other guards. Anthony was a state wrestling champion in the 198lbs weight class at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu and was among the state’s premier power-lifters. He has been participating in mixed martial arts for the past six years and has a current professional record of 3-0. Anthony attended Chaminade University.

Melvin Guillard (Season 2)
The son of a Baptist Minister, Melvin grew up in suburban New Orleans and was a wrestling state champion in the 152lb class at Bonnabel High School in 2002. Voted Best athlete in his high school, Melvin was also a star football player, terrorizing opposing offenses as an outside linebacker. A graduate of Colby College in Kansas with a degree in Criminal Law, he currently works in the family contracting business. Melvin has a 36-2-3 professional MMA record and is inspired by his fiancé, Brittney.

Josh Burkman (Season 2)
Josh was a triple-threat athlete at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City making all-state in football (running back), baseball (third baseman), and wrestling (171 lb division). He went to play running back for Dixie State College. To pursue his dream of becoming a UFC champion, Josh moved to Oregon to train with Randy Couture and Team Qwest. He currently has a 14-2 record and dreams to one day open up his own MMA gym.

Marcus Davis (Season 2)
The former pro boxer is no stranger to television, as he fought on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights while competing for 10 years and compiling a 10-1 record. The 32 year-old native of Bangor, Maine, proudly wears a kilt as a tribute to his Irish heritage. Marcus is a manager of multiple bars and taverns in Maine and is a twice-divorced father to three children. The self-described computer geek is a Star Wars aficionado and lists his favorite movie is the cult classic, “Boondock Saints.”

Sammy Morgan (Season 2)
The Minneapolis, Minnesota native wrestled at Roosevelt High School and attended Denwoody Technical School. The 23 year-old trains in Bloomington for the past 7 years and has current MMA record of 16-5. He currently works as a landscaper and bouncer at a local Minneapolis bar. His favorite movies are “Gladiator” and “The Legend of Josey Wales.”

Kenny Schall (Season 2)
A butcher by trade, the 23 year-old lives in Slidell, Louisiana with his wife and baby son, Kaden. Kenny was a two-sport star at Ware High School in suburban New Orleans in football (fullback, middle linebacker) and baseball (first baseman). He attended the University of Mississippi for one year and competed in the Kenpo Karate Nationals in 1999. Kenny is also friends with Houston Astros’ pitcher, Roy Oswalt.

Luke Cummo (Season 2)
The 25 year-old Taoist is from New Hyde Park, Long Island and is a graduate of Chaminade High School. He graduated Nassau Community College with a degree in Biology. He currently has a 4-1 professional MMA record and trains with UFC contender Matt Serra. The Bruce Lee fan lists “Sin City” among his favorite movies.

ULTIMATE FIGHTER® COACHES

RICH FRANKLIN (Season 2)
The 30 year-old UFC® MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION has a 20-1 professional record including a stunning victory over UFC legend Ken Shamrock in April on Spike TV. Franklin is a former school teacher and is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio.

MATT HUGHES (Season 2)
The 31 year-old UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION has a 38-4 professional record. A native of Hillsboro Illinois, Hughes trains with the legendary Militech Fighting team in Quad Cities, Illinois. He was a two-time high school state wrestling champion and attended Easter Illinois University where he majored in Physical Education. Matt and his twin brother, Mark, own 1,000 acres of farmland in Iowa. His most recent fight was a dramatic victory over rival Frank Trigg in Las Vegas in March.

Season 3

Kalib Starnes (Season 3)
The current #2 ranked middleweight in Canada has an impressive professional MMA record of 8-0-1. Caleb currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia and is part of the renowned Revolution Fight Team. When he is not competing in mixed martial arts, Caleb is participating in spoken-word competitions and is an avid reader of poetry and linguistics. He lists Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn among his favorite authors. Caleb grew up in Nakusp, British Columbia and attended Nakusp Secondary School where he played soccer. He began his fighting career when he took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in his late teens. He is currently single with a 3-year old daughter.

Danny Abbadi (Season 3)
Born in Amman, Jordan, Danny (real name Muntaser) of Jordanian and Egyptian descent, moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was two years old. His family moved around quite a bit and he ended up attending and graduating Olive Branch High School in Olive Branch, Mississippi where he played soccer. Danny began taking taekwondo in Brooklyn and was a black belt in by the age of eight. The taekwondo child-prodigy began teaching the sport at age 12 and currently travels the country teaching. The 4-star black belt works and trains at Victory Martial Arts in Orlando, Florida where he currently he lives. The 28- year old currently holds a 2-1 MMA record and 14-1 Pro Kickboxing record. Among Danny’s other talents are break-dancing and kickboxing.

Solomon Hutcherson (Season 3)
The pride of Racine, Wisconsin, Soloman was a superstar athlete at Racine Park High School where he was an all-state linebacker in football and a feared wrestler in the 171lb division. The youngest of seven children, he attended Triton Junior College in Illinois and studied Fire Science. He has been competing in mixed martial arts for four years and currently holds a 10-2 professional MMA record. Soloman has three kids and works laying cement for a concrete company in Racine. A big sports fan, Soloman roots for the Raiders and his hometown Brewers and Bucks.

Ross Pointon (Season 3)
Known as “The Gladiator,” the 28 year-old from Stokeontrent, England near Manchester, took up mixed martial arts seven years ago. The graduate of Trentham High School is a black belt in karate and currently owns The Gladiator Gym, where he teaches kick boxing and mixed martial arts. Ross made it on the “The Ultimate Fighter 3” after impressing UFC President Dana White and other UFC top brass at an open-casting call in London. He currently holds a 4-6 professional MMA record. The hard-kicking Brit is single and has a young daughter.

Ed Herman (Season 3)
The 25 year-old member of the legendary MMA squad, Team Quest, out of Portland, Oregon, trains with UFC legend Randy Couture and The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 participant and rising star Chris “The Crippler” Leben. He also trains local police in Portland on the latest and most effective mixed martial arts moves. Born in Vancouver, Washington, Ed graduated from Columbia River High School and was an all-state wrestler in the 168lb. division and a standout defensive lineman on the football team. He currently holds an impressive 14-2 professional record. When he’s not training, Ed teaches kids mixed martial arts at the Team Quest gym in Portland and bartends in the evenings. He currently lives with his girlfriend.

Rory Singer (Season 3)
Born in Brooklyn, Rory grew up in Marlboro, New Jersey and was a star wrestler at Marlboro High School. Rory studied Biological Engineering at the University of Georgia and is currently attending the School of Nursing in Athens, Georgia. The 30 year-old began learning jiu jitsu six years ago and currently holds a professional MMA record of 9-5, including bouts in Japan and South Africa. The avid reader of such novels as “The Lord of the Rings trilogy” recently was roommates with Athens, Georgia’s most famous MMA fighter, The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 light-heavyweight champion, Forrest Griffin.

Taite Fletcher (Season 3)
Joe Rogan’s (“Fear Factor”) personal bodyguard has worked in security for such celebrities as Adam Sandler on the set of “The Longest Yard.” The 34-year old and current resident of Los Angeles has appeared in commercials for both Nissan and Coke. A graduate of Alpena High School in Alpena, Michigan, Tate moved to New Mexico to attend St. John’s College in Santa Fe to study Classical Literature. He began training in Jiu Jitsu in New Mexico and currently has a professional MMA record of 3-1.

Kristian Rothaermel (Season 3)
Hurricane Katrina was a nightmare for former New Orleans resident, Kristian. His father died in the catastrophic storm and most of Kristian’s possessions were destroyed. The 33 year-old stayed in the ravaged Gulf Region to help rebuild homes. Now he is looking to start a new life by joining The Ultimate Fighter 3. Kristian studied English Education at The University of New Orleans. The former high school teacher describes himself as a hunter, thinker, and fisherman. He is an avid reader of everything from Chinese poetry to the classics and received a scholarship in college to study poetry in Prague. At 21 he began learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and currently holds a 40-3 professional MMA record. His nickname is “The Weather Underground.”

Michael Bisping (Season 3)
If World War II had not occurred, Mike would probably be living as a count in Poland, as his family ancestry traces back to royalty in his native land. Instead, the 26 year old is living the self-described “working class” life in England, but is aspiring to become an Ultimate Fighter. Mike attended Blackburn College, majoring in electrical engineering, and has two children ages three and five. When he’s not practicing mixed martial arts in Liverpool, he works as a DJ on the weekends. His nickname is “The Count.”

Mike Nickels (Season 3)
This 34 year old tattoo artist won a gold medal in jiu-jitsu at the 2005 Pan Am Games, but he’s mostly proud that he’s fought in more than a 100 bar fights. He was born and raised in Denver, Colo., where he played tight end all four years for East High. Mike is married with two kids and has a professional MMA record of 3-1. He has owned a tattoo studio for more than 10 years, which he’s grown into quite a successful business with 14 employees.

Noah Inhofer (Season 3)
At the last minute, Noah booked a flight and traveled all the way from his native Yankton, South Dakota to Boston to make the open tryouts for season three of The Ultimate Fighter. Even though he’s attending the University of South Dakota and studying to become a special ed teacher, he thinks his wrestling background and two years of jiu-jitsu experience will earn him a shot at the six-figure, multi-year UFC contract. Noah is 24 years old, runs his own lawn mowing business, and holds an MMA record of 22-4.

Josh Haynes (Season 3)
No stranger to the world of MMA, this 28 year Medford, Oreg. native trains with Team Quest and UFC fighters Nate Quarry and Randy Couture. Over the years, he has built an impressive MMA record of 17-4 with 1 KO. At the same time, he has also built an excellent professional career, applying his computer science degree as a hospital network engineer. But Josh decided it was finally time to pursue his dream of becoming an ultimate fighter, and quit his job to train full-time. He started fighting at 330 pounds, and has dropped over 100 pounds to fight at 215. His oldest son was diagnosed with brain cancer at birth, and having watched his boy endure multiple surgeries already, Josh stays completed focused and driven to do whatever is necessary to become a success and take care of his family.

Jesse Forbes (Season 3)
Only 21 years old, his parents would rather see him attending college than training in mixed martial arts, but Jesse has decided he wants to be a fighter. And an ultimate fighter at that. He made state twice as a wrestler in high school, and went on to wrestle two more years in college. He has an excellent ground game, and is learning to become a good striker training with Drew Fickett. Jesse is a south paw, holds a MMA record of 2-0 and wants to become as successful as Rich Franklin in the Octagon.

Matt Hamill (Season 3)
A linebacker in high school, Matt is a big Bengals fan in Cincinnati where he now lives and trains in MMA. He started training with Rich Franklin, and has earned two gold medals in the Pan Am Games. He names his best skills as striking, wrestling and grappling and feels that he’s a pretty well rounded fighter.

Season 4

MIKEY BURNETT (Season 4)
Faith, family, and friends are what motivate the 31 year-old "Eastside Assassin." Burnett, born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hasn’t fought in the UFC since 1999 when he defeated Townsend Sanders at UFC 18. At that point, he had compiled a 5-2 MMA record and was affiliated with the legendary Ken Shamrock and his team, the Lion’s Den. However, Burnett turned his attention to professional boxing and teamed up with his brother Scott, a successful trainer who has worked with many top pugilists including NABF middleweight champion, Antwun Echols. The last seven years haven’t gone as planned for Burnett as personal problems have derailed his fighting career. However, Burnett is ready to resume his once-successful fighting career on The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback. When not training, Burnett is an instructor at Apollo’s Karate in Tulsa. He also enjoys watching SpongeBob Squarepants on Nickelodeon with his two children, Morgan and Freddie.

SHONIE "MR. INTERNATIONAL" CARTER (Season 4)
His nickname is Mr. International as he has fought and defended many of his 12 national and international titles in such countries as Germany, Romania, Japan, Greece, Canada, Poland, Russia, Austria, and Hungary. The self-proclaimed best dressed man in the sport, Carter has a long and illustrious fighting career. The 34 year-old currently posts a 66-13-7 MMA record and his most memorable fight in the UFC was a stunning spinning backhand to defeat The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback cast-mate Matt Serra at UFC 31 in May, 2001. Soon after, Carter lost to seasoned veteran Pat Miletich in UFC 32. The Chicago native attended Proviso East High School where his varied interests included competing on the wrestling team to playing trombone. He cites his fighting career began when he was constantly beaten up by a female bully growing up. Following high school, he attended Triton College where he wrestled future UFC champion Matt Hughes. (His wrestling record against Hughes was 1-1). Following Triton, Carter received a wrestling scholarship to Carson-Newman College in Tennessee where he studied art. He lists Monet, Dali, and O’Keefe amongst his favorites. After failing to make the 1996 Olympics team for wrestling, Carter turned his attention to mixed martial arts. After six years in the military, Carter embarked on a long and winding fighting career that has landed him as a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback. Carter has three children, a 13-year old daughter, 4 year-old son, and 8-month old son. His most recent UFC fight was a loss to The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 competitor, Nate Quarry.

RICH "NO LOVE" CLEMENTI (Season 4)
After a painful divorce a few years back, the 30 year-old Slidell, Louisiana resident came up with the nickname "No Love." The term also pertains to how he treats his opponents in the Octagon. Clementi has a 33-10-1 MMA record including a loss to fellow Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback cast-mate, Pete Spratt in January, 2001. His last fight was in February, 2003 against Yves Edwards. Clementi grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey and attended East Brunswick High School where he was a standout wrestler. He spent five years in the military where he spent time in such interesting locations as Guam, Kenya, Spain, Portugal, and Bosnia. After 9/11, his National Guard unit was recalled he spent time in Cyprus. Currently, he runs "No Love Entertainment," a fight-promotional company in Slidell.

JEREMY "SCORPION" JACKSON (Season 4)
Jackson was actually out with friends at 1:30am the night he was told he was needed as a last-minute replacement for The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback. Four hours later, he was on a flight to Las Vegas. A native of Imperial, California, Jackson began his MMA training in Oxnard, California after graduating from Imperial Valley High School, where he played fullback and linebacker on the football team. A personal trainer in both boxing and weightlifting, the 23 year old Jackson has an 11-4 MMA record including a unanimous decision over cast-mate Shonie Carter. Jackson currently trains with City Boxing in San Diego. He is driven to succeed by his 8-month year old son, Nicholas. In an ironic twist fit for Shakespeare, his son ‘Nick’ was named by his ex-wife after Nick Diaz, who defeated Jackson in a welterweight bout right before his embittered ex-wife gave birth. However, Jackson might have gotten the last laugh as he was a last-minute replacement for Diaz on The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback. Jackson is an avid musician, and cites Journey, Def Leppard and Rick Astley among his favorites.

CHRIS LYTLE (Season 4)
It is safe to assume that Bobby Knight never threw a chair at Lytle, an Indiana University graduate with a degree in Sports Management. Born and raised in Indianapolis, the 31 year-old fireman is a married father of four children, ages 2, 5, 9, and 10 years old. Lytle attended Southport High School where he wrestled and made his UFC debut in November, 2000 with a loss to Ben Earwood at UFC 28. His big break occurred 3 years later at UFC 45 when he lost a close decision in a grueling match against Robbie Lawlor. He currently holds an 18-12-5 MMA record and a 13-1-1 professional boxing record. Most recently, he fought at UFC 55 and lost to Joe Riggs via TKO.

MATT SERRA (Season 4)
The two most memorable fights in Serra’s long and distinguished career in MMA involve current The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback cast-mates. In May, 2001, Serra lost to Shonie "Mr. International" Carter when he was knocked out by a spinning back fist late in the third round of an epic fight at UFC 31. In February, 2003, Serra was awarded a split-decision victory over Din Thomas at UFC 41. However, it was later determined that one of the judges made a mistake on the scorecard and Serra was notified in the locker room that he indeed lost. Serra, a graduate of East Meadow High School in Long Island, New York, runs Serra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in East Meadow. He began training under Renzo Gracie in the mid 90’s and was awarded the black belt in 2000, the first American to have such an honor under Gracie. Among Serra’s most memorable victories in the UFC include a victory over B.J. Penn at UFC 39 and Ivan Menjivar at UFC 48. Serra trains with The Ultimate Fighter 3 finalist, Luke Cummo. The movie buff lists Office Space, Half-Baked, and the Big Lebowski among his favorites.

PETE SPRATT (Season 4)
One of the two greatest athletes to ever attend Southeastern Oklahoma State (the other one is Dennis Rodman), Spratt, from suburban Dallas, was a first-team All American receiver as a senior and led all of Division II in receiving. He turned his attention to fighting after unsuccessful tryouts with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He made a successful debut in the UFC with a first round victory over Zach Light at UFC 37.5 in June, 2002. Spratt lost to The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback coach Georges St. Pierre in a memorable bout in Montreal in 2003. His career zenith came at UFC 42 with a victory over Robbie Lawlor. However, Spratt’s career has since spiraled downward including a loss on Spike TV’s Ultimate Fight Night last August to The Ultimate Fighter 1 participant, Josh Koscheck. Spratt, who is 35 years-old, currently holds a 15-7 MMA record. He has fought two fellow The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback cast-mates with a victory over Rich "No Love" Clementi and a loss to Chris Lytle. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Safety and Health and currently is a Muy Thai trainer and Thailand American Kickboxing in Sherman, Texas.

DIN THOMAS (Season 4)
The 29 year-old Port St. Lucie, Fl. native has fought and won titles all around the world. The brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu began training at 19 when he got hooked on the sport after watching UFC 2. Thomas is a member of America’s Top Team with fellow The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback cast-mate, Charles McCarthy. Among Thomas’ career highlights include a victory over Matt Serra, also an Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback cast-mate. He has trained under 1976 Boxing Gold Medalisy, Howard Davis. Thomas is also an up-and-coming thespian who performs in local theater in West Palm Beach. He married his high school sweetheart and has a 9 month-old son.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
PATRICK "THE PREDATOR" COTE (Season 4)
The nationally ranked badminton player in Canada, Patrick Coté began his mixed martial arts training while serving in the army, picking up boxing before moving on to kickboxing. Upon leaving the military, Coté saw a UFC fight on TV and decided to ramp up his training to include wresting and jiu jitsu while fighting on the amateur circuit. Cote began his UFC career as a replacement opponent against light heavyweight and The Ultimate Fighter 3 coach Tito Ortiz in UFC 50: The War of ’04. Describing the fight as surreal, Coté was given the assignment on short notice, and stepped toe-to-toe with his idol. Despite losing by unanimous decision in three rounds, Patrick impressed the UFC world by sending Ortiz to the mat in the first round, and hanging tough in his debut. Coté described his 2005 loss to Joe Doerkson in UFC 52 as the toughest of his career. After losing to Chris Leben at Spike TV’s Ultimate Fight Night 1, Coté is looking to put 2005 behind him, and make 2006 the year of "The Predator". The 26 year-old currently has an 8-3 MMA record.

EDWIN "BABYFACE" DeWEES (Season 4)
DeWees youthful appearance belies six years of experience he has in competing in mixed martial arts at the highest level. DeWees, who has a 31-8 MMA record, began training while a junior at Cortez High School in Phoenix and launched his professional career at age 17. Three years into his professional career, he earned a shot against current UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 44 in September, 2003. Despite losing to Franklin, DeWees took the fight as a valuable learning experience, and is determined to get a rematch with Franklin and a shot at the middleweight title by beating out his cast-mates this season. DeWees’s career took a further hit when he lost to The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 participant, Chris Leben, on Spike TV last October. He currently owns and trains at The West Coast Training Center, in Tempe, alongside UFC welterweight Joe Riggs.

TRAVIS LUTTER (Season 4)
The pride of South Dakota, Lutter attended Western Springs High School where he was an all-state wrestler and followed his education at Northern State University in South Dakota where he majored in Criminal Justice. After seeing Royce Gracie fight at an early age, he realized his destiny was to master Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He moved to Dallas, Texas, where he currently lives and trains, to hone his craft. Lutter has fought all over the world including Brazil, Denmark, Japan, and England. He made his UFC debut with a victory over Marvin Eastman at UFC 50 in October, 2004. His last UFC appearance was a disappointing loss to Trevor Pangley at UFC 54 last August. The 33 year-old has a 11-3 MMA record.

CHARLES "CHAINSAW" McCARTHY (Season 4)
Growing up in Coconut Creek, Florida, Charles McCarthy was a huge fan of karate and kung fu movies and even paid $40 for a Royce Gracie fight tape from a crooked video store owner. His love for mixed martial arts has grown steadily ever since and the 25 year-old has a 7-2 MMA record including a tough loss at UFC 53 to David Loiseau last June. Dubbed "Chainsaw Charlie" after the 80s hit by W.A.S.P., McCarthy trains with the Freestyle Fighting Academy in Miami. He is a member of America’s Top Team with The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback cast-mate Din Thomas. McCarthy attended Miami Dade College and majored in Education.

GIDEON "THE GLADIATOR" RAY (Season 4)
Gideon grew up in Joliet, Illinois just outside of Chicago attended Joliet High School. A taekwondo aficionado through most of his life, Ray was turned on to mixed martial arts after seeing an early UFC fight featuring Keith Hackney. Deciding this was his chosen path in life, Ray tracked down Hackney in Roselle, Illinois in search of guidance. The rest is history, as Ray has trained at Hackney’s Combat Academy ever since. Dubbed "The Gladiator" by his brother, Ray made his UFC debut in 2005 against highly touted middleweight David Loiseau. Given only four days notice, Ray was on a plane to Las Vegas from Chicago two hours after getting the call from the UFC. Despite losing that fight, as well as a match-up with Mike Swick from The Ultimate Fighter 1 on Spike TV’s Ultimate Fight Night, Ray feels working under the tutelage of the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Randy Couture will help elevate his game and help him walk away from this competition with a title shot. Ray is currently 32 years old with a 29-4-1 MMA record.

JORGE "EL CONQUISTADOR" RIVERA (Season 4)
Born in Framingham, Massachusetts, "El Conquistador" wants nothing more than to represent both his city of Boston and his Hispanic heritage with pride by winning the UFC Middleweight crown. He grew up in the Boston suburb of Milford and attended Bellingham High School. Rivera played varsity basketball and football player in school, but he still needed an outlet for his physical combativeness. After seeing a Royce Gracie fight, Jorge decided to channel that aggressiveness into a career in mixed martial arts. His big break came at UFC 44 in September, 2003 when he defeated highly regarded Canadian David Loiseau. The following year at UFC 50, Rivera lost to current UFC Middleweight champion Rich Franklin by an armbar submission in the third round of a brutal fight. His quest for a title was further derailed by a devastating defeat on Spike TV earlier this year to The Ultimate Fighter 1 contestant, Chris Leben. He currently trains with The Ultimate Fighter 1 alumnus Ken Florian at Sit Yod Tong in Boston. Rivera, a diehard Red Sox fan, has a 15 year-old daughter and 10 year-old son. When not training, he is a construction worker and a member of a union, Laborers’ Local 609 in Framingham, MA. He is currently 34 years old with a 13-5 MMA record.

PETE SELL (Season 4)
The Bay Shore, Long Island resident trains with fellow cast-mate Matt Serra and The Ultimate Fighter 2 finalist, Luke Cummo. He began studying taekwondo at 15 years old and two years later began training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with the legendary Gracie family. Sell, who has a 7-1 MMA record, was a 2003 Bronze Medalist at the Pan American Games in 2003 in jiu jistu. His big break came in February, 2005 in UFC 51 when he beat fellow Long Islander Phil Baroni by submission in the third round. However, Sell’s career lost momentum with a loss to The Ultimate Fighter 1 contestant Nate Quarry on Spike TV’s Ultimate Fight Night in August, 2005. Sell attended St. John The Baptist High School in Long Island and currently bounces at a number of clubs in Long Island. He is 23 years old and enjoys training and spending time with the many beautiful girls on Long Island.

SCOTT "HANDS OF STEEL" SMITH (Season 4)
Smith was a standout wrestler at Elk Grove, High School in Elk Grove, CA. He began seriously training jiu jitsu after high school and made his UFC debut last April at UFC 59 with a loss to highly-touted David Terrell. The 27 year-old is a member of Local 118 Ironworkers’ Union in Sacramento, CA. He has two sons, Mikey and Scotty Jr, and is a huge fan of the Sacramento Kings and 49ers.

Season 5

ALLEN “Monstah” BERUBE (Season 5)
Born and raised in the small town of Biddeford, Maine, Allen graduated from Biddeford High School in 1992. To escape the cold Maine winters, he often visited friends who had moved to Tampa Bay. He often fulfilled their only request: bring lobsters from home. Allen soon parlayed this into a business, moving to Tampa eight years ago, and is now the proud owner of two “Monstah Lobstah” seafood restaurants in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

About a year and a half ago, he began training in jiu jitsu under Rob Kahn at the Tampa Bay Gracie facility. Having wrestled in high school, and boxed since the age of thirteen, the self proclaimed “Crustacean Sensation” feels his well rounded game will lead to success on The Ultimate Fighter 5. A New Englander for life, Allen roots for the Red Sox and Patriots while not training. He lists Gladiator as his favorite movie, and Deal or No Deal and I Love NY as the shows he’ll miss watching while in the house. The two things he’ll miss the most: his wife Anetka, and going to church on Sunday.

NATE DIAZ (Season 5)
UFC veteran Nick Diaz’s younger brother is looking to make his own mark on mixed martial arts in The Ultimate Fighter 5. After graduating Tokay High School in Lodi, California in 2003, Nate started training in mixed martial arts at his brother’s behest. Training takes up his daily routine, practicing jiu jitsu in Stockton during the day and then driving an hour each way into Sacramento at night to work on his boxing. Mixed martial arts is the only sport for Nate, who briefly played football in high school. When he is not training, Nate can be found cornering his big brother’s MMA bouts, and listening to Eminem, Tool, and Led Zeppelin on his iPod.

ROBERT “The O.C. Kid” EMERSON (Season 5)
This 25 year old from Southern California is anything but your typical surfer type. Enrolling in kyokushinkia karate at the age of ten, martial arts have been a part of Robert’s life for the better part of two decades. Robert added wrestling to his resumé while attending Dana Hills High School in Orange County, from which he graduated in the year 2000 – the same year he started competing in mixed martial arts. Robert lists take-down defense and striking as his strengths, and is looking to hone his abilities while training with the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter 5.

MANUEL “Pitbull” GAMBURYAN (Season 5)
In May, 1991, Manuel’s family relocated from Armenia in search of economic opportunity. Shortly after his arrival, Manuel began training in judo at Gokor Chivichyan’s Hayastan Academy and quickly became one of the top judokas in the country, winning junior nationals less than two years later. He went on to win junior nationals eight times, the junior Olympics once, and was a member of the 2000 judo junior world team. It should come as no surprise that judo is Manuel’s base in a well rounded MMA arsenal.

The cousin of UFC fighter Karo Parisyan, Manuel was dubbed “Pitbull” for the tenacity he displayed in fighting current lightweight champion Sean Sherk. Manuel last fought eighteen months ago in a win against The Ultimate Fighter 2 alumnus Sam Morgan, but soon after dislocated both shoulders. He did not begin training again until seven months ago, and is hungry to get back inside the Octagon.

When he is not training, Manuel is a huge soccer fan, following UEFA and the English Premier League and listing Roberto Carlos and Zinedine Zidane as his favorite players. Other athletes he admires include Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Dwyane Wade, Sergei Federov and Slava Fetisov. He hopes to emulate their winning ways inside the Octagon on The Ultimate Fighter 5.

BRIAN “Duke” GERAGHTY (Season 5)
Born and raised in Kenosha, this Wisconsinite can’t help but think of what his life would be like if he wasn’t a mixed martial artist – “probably eating cheese -- not much else do in Kenosha.” Far removed from the Midwest, Geraghty will be pursuing the opportunity of a lifetime on The Ultimate Fighter 5. Nicknamed “Duke” by his father at a young age, Brian took up MMA during high school after seeing one of his friends training at a freestyle gym. Brian’s curiosity led him to the mats, where he was determined to master the art of submissions.

While he swears he has not mastered anything yet and has much to learn, Duke lists submissions as one his strengths, particularly triangles and kimuras. He is hoping to sharpen his all around game while in Las Vegas, and is very excited to work with the coaches. Despite him being away for six weeks, Brian’s girlfriend is very supportive of his career. Aside from missing her, Brian is not looking forward to being away from the local Wisconsin music scene while on the show, or leaving behind his Reno 911! and Chappelle’s Show DVDs.

COREY “The Real Deal” HILL (Season 5)
Born in West Virginia, Corey’s family moved to Florida when he was a baby and spent his formative years living on a pig farm thirty miles north of Tampa Bay. Corey was a three sport athlete at Springstead High School, playing free safety and wide receiver for the football team, running the 800m and 1600m for the track team, and becoming a two-time state champion for the wrestling team. His success in wrestling landed him a scholarship to Colby Community College in Kansas, where he would meet his future wife. After Colby, Hill attended Upper Iowa University. He left twelve credits shy, but vows to finish to fulfill a promise he made to his mother and father – the two biggest role models in his life.

After leaving Upper Iowa, Hill took a job building homes before a friend convinced him to try mixed martial arts. Corey took to it immediately, and soon quit his job to begin training full time. Now residing in Colorado Springs with his wife and two young children, being away from them for six weeks will be extremely difficult, but being a good father and husband is his number one priority and will provide all the motivation he needs to become The Ultimate Fighter. Hill lists wrestling and striking as his strengths, and plans to use his height to his advantage inside the Octagon. He plans to focus on his jiu jitsu while training in Las Vegas.

JOSEPH “J-Lau” LAUZON (Season 5)
At 22 years old, Joe may be one of the youngest competitors on The Ultimate Fighter 5, but he boasts one of the more impressive resumes in the house given his defeat of Season 5 coach Jens Pulver at UFC 63 in 2006. This came only a few short months after Joe completed his degree in computer science at Wentworth College and took a job as a network administrator.

Nicknamed “J-Lau” by his friends at East Bridgewater High School, he has balanced his MMA training with academics since he took up jiu-jitsu as a sixteen year old – a mandate from his parents who ensured education was the first priority for him and his younger brother Dan. Fortunately, his job has given him a leave of absence to pursue his dream in Las Vegas. Despite his victory over Pulver, Joe insists he still has much to learn, both from the coaches and his housemates. While in the house, he will miss his family, TV shows like Heroes and The Shield, and the sounds of Outkast, Linkin Park, and Incubus on his iPod. Most of all, this self professed tech nerd will miss an internet connection.

GRAY “The Bully” MAYNARD (Season 5)
Gray has an extensive background in wrestling, as he was a varsity letterman all four years of high school at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. As a senior in high school, Gray was national champion, earning All-State and All-American honors while leading his team to an undefeated season and a number one ranking in the nation.

He went on to wrestle alongside The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Rashad Evans at Michigan State University, where he was a two-time All-American. After graduating, Gray received a call from Season 5 coach BJ Penn who was preparing for a fight at the time. Penn wanted someone with Gray’s abilities to train with him to improve his wrestling game, and offered to fly him to Hilo, Hawaii in order to do so. Gray obliged, and received his first taste of mixed martial arts. After his stint with Penn, Gray moved back to Las Vegas and worked as a real estate agent for two years before joining Team Couture, with whom he now trains full time.

Gray was dubbed “The Bully” because his bull terrier, Hank, harasses any other dog that comes in its path. His fiancé plans on taking a trip to Thailand while he is in the The Ultimate Fighter 5 house for six weeks, which Gray thinks will make it easier for him to focus on the task at hand. He is hoping to improve his jiu-jitsu while training with the coaches and other fighters on the show.

BRANDON “The Murderer” MELENDEZ (Season 5)
At the age of eighteen, Brandon Melendez started grappling at the behest of a member of a gym he was working out at. Soon thereafter, he entered an eight man grappling tournament and made it to the finals with no formal jiu jitsu training at all. From then on, Brandon dedicated himself to mixed martial arts, joining the Elite Performance team in Salt Lake City. In Utah, a local station televises his fights, and one of the announcers dubbed him “The Murderer”. While unsettling to his grandmother, the nickname has stuck, and Brandon is looking to slay the competition on The Ultimate Fighter 5.

When not training, Brandon spends time with his wife Monika, and their children, daughter Alycia and son Malakhai. He enjoys rebuilding muscle cars, and is setting aside the 1971 GMC he is working on to train in Las Vegas with the coaches and other competitors.

COLE “Magrinho” MILLER (Season 5)
A fan of mixed martial arts since attending his first UFC bout in 1993 at the age of nine, Cole did not start training until a decade later. In the time between, Cole was one of the top high school baseball players in the country at Mt. De Sales Academy. After graduating in 2002, Cole went to Mercer University to play outfield for their baseball team, which boasts John Rocker as an alumnus.

Cole discovered MMA in college and has been training ever since, giving up baseball and relocating to Coconut Creek, Florida to train with the American Top Team. Because of his slender frame, his teammates have dubbed him “Magrinho,” which is Portuguese for “skinny.” Cole still has a soft spot in his heart for the Atlanta Braves, but hasn’t had much time for anything except training since taking up MMA in his stated goal to become the best lightweight fighter in the world. In his few moments of free time, Cole can be found at the beach, listening to Bright Eyes, Green Day, Eminem, mXPX, and Slick Shoes. He considers The Ultimate Fighter 5 to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and plans to make the most of his experience training with the coaches and other fighters.

GABE “Godzilla” RUEDIGER (Season 5)
Growing up in a small town between Tahoe and Sacramento, Gabe Ruediger took up Aikido karate at the age of 7, and kung fu shortly after that. A current brown belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, his training was a constant throughout his years at Nevada Union High School where he graduated in 1995. He continued training overseas while competing over the past ten years.

Gabe’s nickname was given to him while in Japan, the dragon tattoo on his arm inspiring some of the locals to call him Godzilla while he was training. When he moved back to the U.S, Gabe joined Team Quest South under Dave Henderson’s instruction, while working as a marketing consultant during the day. An avid reader, Gabe is dreading being locked in a house for six weeks without books, and lists Perfume by Patrick Süskind and Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts as his favorites. He plans on fighting until the day he no longer enjoys mixed martial arts, and would like to go to law school some time down the road. In competing on The Ultimate Fighter 5, “Godzilla” is hoping to improve all aspects of his game, and to convert his father into an MMA fan by winning the contract that is up for grabs.

“Mr. Indestructible” MARLON SIMS (Season 5)
Since the age of four, Marlon Sims has wanted to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Growing up, Marlon was constantly training. He took up Kempo and Sambo, achieving black belts in both. Before graduating from Sonoma Valley High in 1992, he was a two-time state champion in Greco Roman wrestling, and was regularly scouted by Stanford’s tennis coaches during the spring athletic season. He opted to train in mixed martial arts, instead, dabbling in jiu jitsu briefly before injuries caused him to focus on muy thai.

Living in the Bay Area, Marlon trained during the day and worked as a waiter captain at the famous Le Colonial night. He worked out with Frank Shamrock in the Napa chapter of The Lion’s Den, but relocated to Miami where he lives with his girlfriend, a future anesthesiologist, and trains with the Freestyle Fighting Academy.

When not training, Marlon is a huge fan of martial arts films starring Tony Jai, Bruce Lee, and Jet Li. Musically, Marlon’s tastes range from classical music to Johnny Cash to Lyrics Born to Pantera. Despite moving to Miami, Marlon still follows the 49ers and Oakland A’s closely, and says Roger Federer and Mirko Cro Cop are heroes of his because of the dominance they display in their fields.

Marlon earned his nickname for his renowned fighting prowess on the streets of San Francisco, breaking up many brawls with nary a scratch to show for it. Sims says the title is apt, but for different reasons – he once was hit by a car and thrown through its windshield, and walked out of the hospital four hours later with only a tooth missing.

While on The Ultimate Fighter 5, “Mr. Indestructible” hopes to live up to his namesake while working on his jiu jitsu and striking ability with the coaches and other competitors.

NOAH “The Red” THOMAS (Season 5)
A 1999 graduate of Wasson High School where he was a standout wrestler, Noah attended Colorado State University at Ft. Collins, majoring in history. He left to join the United States Marines Corp, earning the rank of Sergeant after serving for six years in their sniper division and doing tours in Japan and Korea. When he returned to the U.S., Thomas was looking for a hobby and entered a No Holds Barred tournament.

Winning eight fights in one night, Noah decided to plug himself into the mixed martial arts scene. About a year ago he began training with Ryan Schulz, working on his wrestling and striking, and six months ago he linked up with a Gracie gym in Colorado, training under Adam Martinez. He has since received a blue belt in Brazliain jiu-jitsu from Royce Gracie, and began dating Michelle Mills, one of the top female fighters in the world. Nicknamed after a dog he knew that would often “see red,” Thomas says it is an appropriate moniker – he is very laid back until the Octagon door closes behind him. He is eager to hone his Brazilian jiu jitsu skills in his quest to become The Ultimate Fighter.

Noah hopes to keep the house loose during the six weeks with his spot on impressions, including imitations of Matt Serra and Ross Pointon. He’ll also be quoting movies a fair amount, listing Rounders, Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers among his favorites. When his MMA career is over, Noah would like to become a firefighter.

ANDY WANG (Season 5)
Born in Taipei, Andy was raised in Los Angeles by parents who operated a Chinese restaurant. He played football growing up, and landing him at the University of Hawaii, where he was a running back. After practices on the gridiron, Andy would train jiu-jitsu, in which he now holds a black belt. Still, he did not get into mixed martial arts until after his graduation in 2000. Looking for a new athletic challenge, his brother showed him a tape of old UFC fights, and Andy was intrigued by the body control necessary for the sport – it reminded him of the tai-chi his grandfather introduced to him as a youngster. He has been training ever since, even opening an MMA school in Taiwan in 2003.

When not training, Andy can be found putting his degree in history to work teaching high social studies and pursuing a master’s degree at Cal State Dominguez. He is hoping to break down ethnic stereotypes about Asian Americans while on the show, and would like to show other Asian Americans that athletics and academics are not mutually exclusive. Aside from that, he’d like to realize his dream of becoming The Ultimate Fighter for his parents – Andy says he’d like them to see his dream come true since they sacrificed theirs to come to this country.

WAYNE WEEMS (Season 5)
The 24 year-old Wayne has had a long, hard road to get to The Ultimate Fighter 5. After bouncing between his parents’ custody and foster homes growing up, Wayne’s cousin Greg took him in as a teenager. Greg introduced Wayne to wrestling when he was in the 8th grade, and he flourished, going on to wrestle at Moline High School, where he won 3rd place in the state of Illinois before graduating in 2001. Wayne continued his education at Ellesworth Junior College where he received an associate’s degree in art.

When Wayne was 21 years old, he entered in a local MMA show and surprisingly won his match despite being a novice. To further his skills for his new-found passion, he began training with Team Miletich – the same camp as Season 5 coach Jens Pulver. When the show is finished taping, Wayne is looking forward to getting back to his family, as well as listening to 50 Cent, Kid Rock, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Hank Williams, and Vanilla Ice out of his car windows en route to wrestling practice.

“Handsome” MATT WIMAN (Season 5)
Matt Wiman’s mom called him “Handsome” at a young age and the nickname has stuck ever since. A Tulsa native, Wiman graduated from Broken Arrow High School in 2002 and saw an advertisement for an eight man mixed martial arts tournament being held locally when he was nineteen years old. Matt entered, and upon winning, decided he would try and make a living as a fighter. He began training independently before joining Tulsa Top Team last year. He made his UFC debut in 2006, losing to Spencer Fisher at UFC 60 last May.

Matt is hoping to wash the taste of that defeat from his mouth by tightening up his all around game while training in Las Vegas on his quest to become The Ultimate Fighter. Matt leaves behind his girlfriend of one year in Tulsa to participate in the show.

Season 6

MATT ARROYO (Season 6)
Matt Arroyo left the cold winters of Cobleskill, New York, behind after graduating from high school in 2000, attending the University of Tampa on a baseball scholarship. In 2003, he began training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Rob Kahn of the Gracie Academy in Tampa. Fascinated by his new interest, Arroyo quit baseball and, by the time he graduated in May of 2005, he had already achieved a purple belt in BJJ.

After college, Arroyo worked as a life insurance agent for about a year and a half before dedicating himself fully to the sport of MMA. He now teaches the sport for a living in the Tampa area. Arroyo thinks living in the house will be difficult without being able to contact his family or attend church. The self-confessed computer nerd will also miss MySpace. However, Arroyo thinks the ability to work with the world class coaches more than make up for that sacrifice in his quest to become The Ultimate Fighter.

DANIEL BARRERA (Season 6)
Born and raised on a farm in Rupert, ID, Daniel Barrera excelled as a wrestler at Minico High School, making it to the state championships in 1999. Upon graduating, Barrera enrolled in the Air Force, taking up boxing and compiles a 15-3-0 record including a hard-fought loss to and lost 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward. After being transferred to Fort Knox in Kentucky, the lack of a boxing gym in the area turned Barrera to hand-to-hand combat training with other soldiers, and an MMA career was born. Upon his honorable discharge in 2005 after a tour in Pakistan, he moved back to Idaho with his wife and began training while working for the Rupert Fire Department. Barrera says the two things he’ll miss most while on the show are his wife, and going to church. A man of exceedingly strong faith, Barrera is out to prove that hard work and devotion, to one’s family and one’s religion, can make all things possible. He is currently pursuing his degree in criminology, but has put that on hold while pursuing his dream of becoming the next Ultimate Fighter.

BLAKE BOWMAN (Season 6)
Bowman graduated from tiny Cleburne County High School in Heslin, Alabama in 1999, where he wrestled and manned third base for the baseball team. After high school, he attended West Georgia University, graduating in 2004 with a degree in psychology. It was here that martial arts first piqued Bowman’s interest, enrolling in judo classes. Bowman let his weight balloon to 240 pounds in college and a promising athletic career was in jeopardy. It was at this time, he met The Ultimate Fighter 5 alumnus Cole Miller while spending time in Griffin, Georgia, and Miller’s work ethic inspired him to commit himself to MMA. Losing 70 pounds since then, the 25 year old Bowman is looking to establish himself as a top welterweight on The Ultimate Fighter.

Away from the gym, Bowman is an avid Auburn football fan from his days in Alabama. He lists The Big Lebowski as his favorite movie, and also enjoys the work of directors Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino. A music aficionado, Bowman’s tastes are eclectic, but having played jazz trumpet for twelve years, he really enjoys the classics – Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane.

MAC DANZIG (Season 6)
Of no relation to the famous lead singer of The Misfits, this Danzig is by far the most experienced combatant on The Ultimate Fighter, with over twenty professional matches under his belt. A 1998 recipient of his GED from Plumborough High School near Pittsburgh, Danzig’s first love was skateboarding, and he was a sponsored amateur during his teenage years. In 2000, Danzig traded in his skateboard for the mats of Casey Leonard’s gym in Pittsburgh, learning a great deal about BJJ under his tutelage. A year later, he left the Steel City behind to fight on the amateur circuit in Iowa before moving to California in 2002. He recently joined the Legends Gym in Los Angeles, home to fellow welterweight contender Karo Parisyan, as well as The Ultimate Fighter 5 finalist Manny Gamburyan, and hopes that living and breathing MMA while in the house for six weeks with no distractions will reinvigorate his training ethic and intensity, something that Danzig will admit has been difficult to maintain in recent years.

Away from the Octagon, Danzig lives with his girlfriend of four years who is a massage therapist in a chiropractic clinic. He is an avid photographer.

PAUL GEORGIEFF (Season 6)
Currently pursuing his masters degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Georgieff is spending his summer in Las Vegas trying to become The Ultimate Fighter.

A native of St. Paul, MN, Georgieff graduated from St. Paul Academy in 2001 where he garnered varsity letters in alpine skiing, tennis, and football, squaring off against Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer on the high school gridiron. After graduation, before heading to the University of Vermont, Georgieff took up judo, which sparked his interest in MMA. While majoring in math and minoring in both art and physics at Vermont, he began training in Brazliain jiu jitsu, wrestling and kickboxing, and made his MMA debut in 2002. He hopes to improve in all areas while on the show, but especially his wrestling.

Outside of the Octagon, Georgieff can be found studying the art of Sir Francis Bacon, listening to a variety of music from Immortal Technique to Miles Davis to Sick of It All, and quoting The Big Lebowski endlessly with his friends. When his career in MMA is over, Georgieff would like to put his Structural Engineering degree to use in designing bridges.

RICHIE HIGHTOWER (Season 6)
A 2000 graduate of Mountain Point High School, Richie Hightower had a very traditional athletic background – he played fullback and middle linebacker for the football team, wrestled, and was a state discus champion for the track & field team. However, after high school, Hightower took a job as a mortgage broker and stopped exercising. His health suffered, and by the age of 21, the 5’8” Hightower weighed 265 pounds. That is when he decided to do something about his health, giving up smoking and drinking while taking up plyometric strength training with a physical therapist. He also found Brazilian jiu jitsu, and soon Hightower was training in Phoenix with the UFC’s Eddie Sanchez. An MMA career was born, with Hightower losing almost 100 pounds to get down to the 170 pound welterweight division. He is looking to learn as much as he can from the coaching staff and his housemates in his quest to become this season’s Ultimate Fighter.

When not training, Hightower enjoys watching television shows such as The Sopranos (though he missed the famous series finale while on the show) and Grey’s Anatomy, lists A Bronx Tale, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, and Resorvoir Dogs as his favorite films, and listens to a wide variety of music from Killswitch Engage to Outkast.

JOHN KOLOSCI (Season 6)
As a child in a small town in Indiana, John had a rough and tumble childhood, regularly getting into fights on the playground. As he matured he began to seek out a safe, legal alternative which led him to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. A three sport athlete at Edison in Lake Station High School, John took immediately to the sport and soon began competing in local MMA bouts.

Despite his age, John enters the house with only 4 ½ years of MMA training and is looking to improve on several aspects of his repertoire, including wrestling, ground and pound, kickboxing, and offensive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. John views this as a great opportunity to train for 6 weeks under some of the best coaches in the world for free. He notes, however, that he will miss his fiancée and 11- year old daughter while in the house.

John lists Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Chuck Liddell as his favorite UFC fighters.

JON KOPPENHAVER (Season 6)
Growing up in Simi Valley, CA, Jonathan became interested in the sport of MMA by watching the bouts with his father. After completing high school, Koppenhaver moved onto the Military College of South Carolina, the Citadel, and majored in biology. Due to some problems while home, Jon traded in his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL for a chance move to San Diego and a try out at Ken Shamrock's Lions Den. He spent a year and half there and decided he needed to make yet another move, this time to Las Vegas, NV to train with Phil Baroni, Marc Laimon, and Dewey Cooper at Cobra Kai. He was given the nickname of 'War Machine' by Baroni due to his bio-mechanical tattoos and his original sparring style which he says at first he "couldn't go light only hard." Koppenhaver recently returned to San Diego to train at the Undisputed gym under world champion jiu jitsu competitor Baret ¿The Finisher" Yoshida and former boxing champ Robert 'The Hitman' Garcia.

Koppenhaver says he would like to model himself after former UFC welterweight champ and TUF season 4 coach Georges "Rush" St. Pierre and one of his favorite fighters is the entertaining Genki Sudo. While pursuing his dream of fighting in the UFC he says he will miss his girlfriend and his dog, as well as Myspace, but like everyone else in the house he is looking forward to hopefully being in the octagon at the finale show thus proving to the world that he is worthy of becoming the next Ultimate fighter.

TROY MANDALONIZ (Season 6)
A childhood friend of BJ Penn, Troy Mandaloniz was introduced to grappling in the fourth grade by Penn’s father. He started competing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu seriously in 1997, and having BJ Penn aka “The Prodigy” around was more than helpful in getting his MMA training off on the right foot. Troy left for Las Vegas to train full time with Mark Laimon’s Cobra Kai gym in 2001, working part time at the airport and a bartender to pay the bills. He now trains with both Cobra Kai and Team Couture, and is looking to improve his cardio and endurance while learning under the coaches on this season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Mandaloniz’s first love was football, and he played tailback on the Hilo High School football team for four years until graduating in 1998. His new loves are his two dogs, a boxer and toy pug, which are home alone with his girlfriend of nine years. While he knows leaving her home alone for six weeks will be extremely difficult, especially since they take up residence in Las Vegas, they both realize the opportunity in front of him.

BILLY MILES (Season 6)
Billy Miles, a Youth Correctional Counselor in California, took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after watching UFC superstar Tito Ortiz excel in the Octagon. A wrestling star in both high school and at Sierra College and Sacramento State, Miles was an Academic All American in college and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Sacramento State and his Master’s from Chapman University.

Miles took a break from competitive sports after graduating college and developed his body through weight training. He eventually became enamored with the sport of MMA and began training and competing in local tournaments.

While on The Ultimate Fighter, Billy would like to work on all aspects of his MMA repertoire, but feels that his wrestling skills are strong and says that he will stand up and trade blows with anyone. Billy looks forward to the six weeks at the house, but mentions that he will miss spending time with his 20-month old son, Matt.

An avid music fan, his taste is very eclectic as he lists everything from Johnny Cash to 50 Cent to techno music.

ROMAN MITICHYAN (Season 6)
Roman Mitichyan is not your usual MMA fighter. Born in the Republic of Armenia, he moved to Los Angeles in 2000, via Moscow, to pursue a career in acting. Among Roman’s acting credits include appearing in the CBS show Numbers. However, Roman’s MMA game is not an act. Roman studied Sambo/Judo, the same style as UFC fighter Andrei Arlovski and the renowned Fedor Emelianenko. Now a member of Team Hayastan, Roman trains under Gokor Chivichyan and with The Ultimate Fighter 5 runner-up Manny Gamburyan.

Roman looks forward to improving his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and standup ability while training at the house. Roman would like to stay professional throughout the 6 weeks and hopes that the fraternity atmosphere in the house does not affect his training.

A fan of legendary director Martin Scorsese, Roman lists Ronin and Gangs of New York as his favorite movies. His mother and grandma, unaware of his MMA exploits, are in the dark with his appearance on the show. He hopes to make a name for himself in the Octagon and become the next Ultimate Fighter.

DORIAN PRICE (Season 6)
Born and raised in Baltimore, Dorian focused his time and energy into escaping the dangerous streets surrounding him. Dorian, determined to make a better life for himself, entered into Avon O’ Farms school in Connecticut where he blossomed into a star athlete and scholar. Upon graduating in 1995, Dorian enrolled in Hampton University where he began training in Muay Thai, his first introduction into MMA.

After graduating Hampton, Dorian moved to Columbus to attend graduate school at Ohio State University where he ultimately attained his MBA in 2005. In Ohio he began to train full time in MMA and recently has added Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to his game.

While at the house, Dorian would like to improve on all aspects of his fighting, but would like to focus mainly on his take striking, Muay Thai boxing, take-down defense, and ground game. Dorian admires all fighters that have competed in the UFC because they “are where I want to be.”

JARED “J-Roc” ROLLINS (Season 6)
Born and raised in Southern California, Jared was a three sport athlete in High School and Chapman University in Orange County on a football scholarship. While at school, Rollins began studying Jiu-Jitsu. A quick learner and natural athlete, he competed in the 2002 World Championships with only three years of training.

BEN SAUNDERS (Season 6)
An Orlando native, Ben enters the house with six professional fights under his belt and currently trains with the legendary American Top Team. Ben began training Martial Arts at a young age as he studied Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do Concepts. Saunders’s first introduction into the UFC organization came in 1993 when he noticed an advertisement in Black Belt Magazine promoting the UFC and the sport of MMA. Ben became an immediate fan, emulating some of his favorite UFC fighters.

While at the house, Ben would like to improve his entire repertoire, but will focus on strengthening his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and striking ability. Ben notes living in the house will begin to wear on each fighter as the weeks drag on and the tension grows, but feels his time away from friends, family, and a viable information outlet with be the toughest part.

JOE SCAROLA (Season 6)
Living and training for six weeks in Las Vegas won’t be too bad for Joe Scarola – as a member of Matt Serra’s Serra Jitsu Academy on Long Island, he’ll be seeing familiar faces in the desert including Serra, Pete “Drago” Sell and Ray Longo. Scarola’s introduction to martial arts came at a young age, as he began karate lessons at five years old. After graduating from East Meadow High School in 1997, he took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the tutelage of Serra, and in 2005 he became Serra’s first student to earn a black belt in the discipline. Despite his long history with Serra, Scarola is open to learning from either coach as well as his housemates, though he obviously has a coaching preference.

In East Meadow, Scarola teaches Jiu Jistu at Serra’s gym, and lives with his girlfriend. A movie buff, he lists The Last Samurai, Troy and Zoolander as his favorites.

GEORGE SOTIROPOULIS (Season 6)
As a child in Australia this self described thrill seeker, was always looking for his next rush. George competed in several sports such as Australian Rules Football, cricket, mountain biking, and karate, however it wasn’t until he found the UFC that he found his fix. He began to train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at a local club and realized that MMA is what he would like to train. Focused on this goal, he has come to the United States to compete and to become the next Ultimate Fighter.

George would like to follow in the mold of UFC legend Frank Shamrock, who he considers to be the prototype fighter. George feels the most difficult part in living in the house with 15 other fighters will be the meshing of all the different personalities.

George lists cinematic classics Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the Godfather franchise as his favorite movies.

“Farmboy” TOMMY SPEER (Season 6)
A 2003 graduate of Elgin Melville High School in rural Minnesota, Speer was an all-state cornerback for the football team, played basketball four years at the varsity level, and made nationals as a wrestler his senior year. Upon graduating, Speer kept up with his wrestling, and decided to enter the MMA arena by working out with Fourth St. Boxing and Mario Roberto Jiu Jitsu in Rochester, Minnesota. He made his professional debut in 2005 and most recently fought in the WEC.

Growing up on a crop and dairy farm in Minnesota, Tommy Speer has spent most of his life helping out his father and brother with the family business. He has left them temporarily to pursue his dream of becoming The Ultimate Fighter in Las Vegas, and leaving them shorthanded was a very difficult decision to make. In the end, it was an opportunity he could not afford to pass up, and he looks to significantly improve his standup and conditioning techniques while there.

Away from the gym, Speer is a diehard Vikings fan, and also roots for the Timberwolves, citing Kevin Garnett as his favorite player. He is a Die Hard Bruce Willis fan, and enjoys the musical stylings of Linkin Park and Fort Minor.

Season 7

Matt Brown (Season 7)
Hometown:  Xenia, OH
Trains in:  Cincinnati, OH

Matt Brown fights and trains with Team Gurgel (run by Jorge Gurgel from The Ultimate Fighter® 2) in Cincinnati, Ohio. A gym rat, Brown grew up competing in bodybuilding and boxing.  He became involved with mixed martial arts because he viewed the sport as a natural progression from boxing to Muay Thai training. 

When not training, Brown spends his free time working on cars, strumming the guitar, and playing video games, especially his favorites, “Assassin’s Creed” and “Halo 3.” 

During his stint in the house, Brown knows he’ll miss his girlfriend, but feels that this opportunity is his chance to fine-tune his overall fight game and gain some valuable experience in the sport.  With overwhelming support from his family, Brown has a strong will to become this season’s “Ultimate Fighter.”  This zealous drive to win, he believes, is the strongest aspect of his persona.  Some of his favorite MMA fighters include: Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre (GSP).

Brown is a 1988 graduate of Greenview High School in Cincinnati.

Dan Cramer (Season 7)
Hometown:  Bethel, CT
Trains in:  Danbury, CT

Dan Cramer graduated from Bethel High School in Bethel, CT in 2003, before attending the University of Connecticut and earning his bachelor’s degree in economics.  Cramer was captain of his ice hockey team and played rugby in college, but mixed martial arts has always been his true love.  He began training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the age of 15 and excels when taking his opponent to the ground, but he looks to work on keeping the fight standing up and enhancing his boxing skills while on the show.  He thinks his best quality in the Octagon is his aggressiveness. His ultimate goal in life is to support himself through MMA, so he can train full time.  While in the house, Cramer will miss his family and his other hobbies of golf, ping pong and poker.

Tim Credeur (Season 7)
Hometown:  Breaux Bridge, LA
Trains in:  Breaux Bridge, LA

Growing up in Louisiana, Credeur competed in both martial arts and boxing.  However, it wasn’t until he joined the Navy when 18-years-old that he truly blossomed as an athlete.  The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt’s first fight came in 1995 and, since then, he has grown in both experience and in reputation as a quick finisher in the ring.  In eleven bouts, 9-2 overall, Credeur is yet to have one fight go past the first round.  Now, the 30 year-old Creduer, a member of Louisiana’s Gladiator Academy, hopes to fulfill his lifelong dream and become “The Ultimate Fighter.” 

Credeur dreams of having the same type of fighting career as his idol, UFC® Lightweight Champion BJ Penn. While in the house, Credeur says he’ll miss his wife and two dogs, along with Cajun-cooking, but feels that his biggest responsibility is to represent himself in a positive way and be an upstanding role model. 

Mike Dolce (Season 7)
Hometown:  Belmar, NJ
Trains in:  Portland, OR

Explosive in the ring and a self-described gentleman outside of it, Mike Dolce is a graduate of St. Rose High School in Belmar , NJ, where he wrestled varsity for four years. The good Catholic school kid from the Jersey Shore proudly earned himself a Division I scholarship. However, Dolce was injured before he was able to capitalize on the opportunity.  Ever positive, Dolce channeled his energy into becoming a skilled strength coach while rehabilitating his own shoulder. 

Dolce was recruited by Randy Couture’s Team Quest of Portland, OR in 2005.  Excited at the prospect of competing again, and much to the surprise of his family and friends, Dolce resigned his position as a municipal tax assessor in New Jersey, picked up his life and moved across the country to Oregon to train Mixed Martial Arts full time.  He now holds the record for fastest knockout in Team Quest history.

Recently, Dolce, a former 275 lbs. power lifter, has bench pressed 535 lbs, dead lifted 705 lbs and squatted 840 lbs. 

Living a “quieter than average” lifestyle, Dolce miss his wife’s cooking and relaxing with his pets, but is extremely grateful for this opportunity to test himself, and will put friendships aside with fellow cast members Gerald Harris and Dante Rivera as he has his eyes set on becoming The Ultimate Fighter®.

C.B. Dollaway (Season 7)
Hometown:  Mount Gilead, OH
Trains in:  Tempe, AZ

C.B. Dollaway graduated from Northmor High School in Mount Gilead, OH and received his associate’s degree in the arts from Colby Junior College in Colby, KS.  Soon after, Dollaway opted for warmer desert climates and moved to Tempe, AZ to attend Arizona State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in sociology and justice studies.  Wrestling since the age of five, Dollaway continued the sport at Arizona State University, eventually being selected as an All American.  While in school, Jessie Forbes of “The Ultimate Fighter 3” asked him to come in to train with him while he prepared for his bout in the show’s finale.  After that, Dollaway continued to train and soon decided he was ready to take on the challenge of his first fight, which he won via TKO in 17 seconds.  Seeing promise in him, the MTX Audio competition team asked him to come on board full time upon his graduation.    

Dollaway has been training full time for a year now and is thrilled about this opportunity, as he hopes to learn as much as he can from training with Rampage and Forrest, along with the other guys in the house.  Dalloway is a well-rounded fighter one of the younger competitors in the house, which he believes will be a huge advantage for him. 

Gerald Harris (Season 7)
Hometown:  Tulsa, OK
Trains in:  Portland, OR

This father of two is not your typical mixed martial arts fighter.  The affable Gerald Harris attended East Central High in Tulsa before attending Cleveland State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in history.  Harris has always been athletic – he wrestled all throughout college and even played semi-pro football.  While he was in college, Harris pursued one of his lifelong dreams: stand up comedy.   Though he was fairly successful, he realized that there just wasn’t enough money in it for him and that he needed a stable income.  Harris decided to become a high school history teacher, teaching two years in Florida and for one year at his alma mater in Tulsa.  He got into mixed martial arts through the recommendation of a friend who knew of his athletic prowess. 

Fighting is not a new concept to the Harris family.  Gerald’s father was a competitive boxer and bestowed the name “Hurricane” on his son.  Outside of MMA, Harris loves to draw but his goal in life is to make his mark in the UFC and win a belt.   

Nick Klein (Season 7)
Hometown:  Sun Prairie, WI
Trains in:  Madison, WI

Nick Klein is a self-proclaimed farm kid who enjoys riding motorcycles and fishing.  He attended Sun Prairie High School, and most recently graduated from Herzing College with a bachelor’s degree in business management.  He got into MMA when he took an interest in learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in his teens.  He wound up picking up all forms of MMA and now trains out of Twisted Fitness in Madison, Wisconsin. 

Klein’s family has been extremely supportive of his efforts, standing behind him in his move to quit his job as a customer representative.  Klein is dedicated to the sport and will always work to better himself so he can consistently compete on the highest level the sport has to offer.  When is career is through, he eventually wants to work in marketing and advertising.  In the meantime, while he’s in the House, Klein will miss his family, friends and girlfriend, but perhaps most of all, playing the video game “Call of Duty.” 

Jeremy May (Season 7)
Hometown:  Ocala, FL
Trains in:  Ocala, FL

Jeremy May was home schooled in Ocala, Florida but was active athletically and played in a local soccer league. It wasn’t until his brother took him to a grappling tournament that he found his real love.  After years of training and competing in central Florida, he now trains with team USA Martial Arts and Ice Athletics. 

May’s fighting style is “Jeremy Jitsu,” which is doing whatever it takes to win.  May lives and breathes sports, using his spare time to watch fights, “The Ultimate Fighter,” rugby and hockey.  His favorite UFC® fighter is Rich Franklin.   

Matthew Riddle (Season 7)
Hometown:  Palmerton, PA
Trains in:  Palmerton, PA

As one of the least experienced competitors on this season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Matthew Riddle’s journey into the sport of mixed martial arts stemmed as much from an uncanny natural talent for combat sports as it does from years of training.  Unlike those who garner an interest in the sport during early childhood, Riddle’s interest didn’t pique until a few years after his career as a high school wrestler, in which he went from first stepping on the mats in eighth grade to winning a National Championship just five years later. 

From there, Riddle, who enjoyed occasionally watching a fight or two on television, decided, with the encouragement of a friend, to begin training in mixed martial arts.   Within his first year of training, Riddle won three major submission grappling titles and won his  mixed martial arts fight debut.

Currently a member of the Rat Pack training camp in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, Riddle hopes to learn from world class coaches while in the house.  Besides his family and his dog, Riddle says he’ll also miss playing video games on his Xbox 360.  He enjoys watching horror movies and is a big fan of the “Saw” movie franchise.

Dante Rivera (Season 7)
Hometown:  Jackson, NJ
Trains in:  Hamilton, NJ

Dante Rivera, 33, enters the house as the oldest of this season’s competitors.  A standout sandlot basketball player during his younger years, Dante’s interest in MMA was piqued during the halftime of a basketball game in  Elizabeth, NJ.  A fan of the UFC®, Rivera stopped into the local camp and was instantly hooked.   In his first day at the gym, he was thrown by an opponent of a smaller height and weight, but the incident didn’t hurt the pride of the 200-pound wrestler—it only fueled his drive to learn more about the martial arts and jiu-jitsu. 

Rivera’s athleticism and energy impressed UFC President Dana White and producers at November’s open casting call in Newark, and he was invited to the final casting in Las Vegas, where he was chosen to be on the show. 

Amir Sadollah (Season 7)
Hometown:  Richmond, VA
Trains in:  Richmond, VA

Amir Sadollah, of Team Combat in Richmond, VA, graduated from J.R. Tucker High School (Richmond, VA) and later attended Jay Sargeant Reynolds Community College.  His interest in mixed martial arts was spawned by a friend who was training in the sport. Initially Amir viewed it solely as a way that he could stay in shape.  Oddly enough, his love for the sport began to grow after he accepted a job as a surgical tech in the operating room at VCU Healthsytems where he noticed the similarities in personality between a surgeon and a fighter and it put into perspective the drive needed to succeed at one’s craft.  Now, realizing his potential, Amir focuses full-time on training and improving his all-around game.  The 27- year old amateur kickboxer impressed Dana White, along with “The Ultimate Fighter” producers, enough during the open-workout in Newark for him to earn a shot in the house.

Amir admires the fighting style and demeanor of Mirko Cro Cop and hopes to emulate his idol while training on “The Ultimate Fighter.” A devoted MMA fanatic, Amir rarely is away from the gym, although he admits that recently he has taken up golf. 

Patrick Schultz (Season 7)
Hometown: Wareham, MA
Trains in:  Somerville, MA

A multi-sport star in baseball and hockey at Wareham High School in Massachusetts, Schultz set the all-time Massachusetts state record for goals in a single season (67). Schultz took his skills to the Community College of Rhode Island where he earned All-American honors in both sports during his two years at the college and was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays following his freshman year.   Deciding against joining the Blue Jays and to continue his education instead, Patrick moved onto the University of Massachusetts and was named the Division III baseball player of the year.    

Patrick’s interest in mixed martial arts began as his college career came to a close, as he was hooked on the sport after attending a few self-defense classes at his local gym.  Patrick currently trains at his own camp – the Cape Cod Fighting Alliance, where he instructs others in both muay thai and mixed martial arts.

While in the house, Patrick will miss the minor conveniences such as the internet and television, but especially his wife and 18-month old baby boy.  He lists the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Bruins as his favorite professional sports franchises and Rampage Jackson as his favorite UFC® fighter.

Brandon Sene (Season 7)
Hometown:  Livingston, MT
Trains in:  Tampa, FL

Brandon Sene, 26, a former three sport athlete in football, basketball and track at Park High School in Livingston, Montana, graduated from the University of Montana with an Associates Degree in Science in 1999.  A member of the United States Marines from 2000 through 2005, Sene was sent to Iraq in January 2003 to serve his first of what would be two tours in the war-torn country.  Following his return in September of 2003, Sene began to train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and left the Marines to join Triple Canopy, a U.S. private military company based in Virginia.  With Triple Canopy, Sene returned to Iraq (December 2005) and began to train in the sport of mixed martial arts with other contractors.  A member of Gracie Tampa, Sene believes that his strength lays both in his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and muay thai training.

A fan of George St. Pierre, Sene hopes that his training with Gracie Tampa and now Griffin/Jackson, will help propel him to the top of the 185lb. class. 

Jesse Taylor (Season 7)
Hometown:  Poway, CA
Trains in:  Temecula , CA

After graduating from Poway High School in 2000, Jesse Taylor first attended Palomar College and later transferred to California State University (CSU) in Fullerton, CA.  Only three classes short of graduating, he has put his kinesiology studies (the study of mechanic and anatomy principles in relation to human movement) on hold to pursue his dreams.  The two-time Junior College All-American wrestler transitioned into the sport of MMA and has dominated the competition with his aggressive style since then, compiling a 6-2 record along the way.  In addition to wrestling and his current MMA training, Taylor enjoys a mix of other sports including baseball, football, skateboarding and basketball.

He sees this big break with the show as a chance to grow and develop into a much better fighter.  Besides his son and family, Taylor admits that he’ll miss watching television, and above all else, his favorite show “Family Guy”.  The self-professed fan of MMA fighter Dan Henderson, says that if he wasn’t an MMA fighter, he would probably be a teacher or a wrestling coach. 

Cale Yarbrough (Season 7)
Hometown:  Marietta, GA
Trains in:  Athens, GA

Yarbrough was a standout swimmer growing up and placed third in the Georgia State Swimming Championships at age 13.  Yarbrough attended Wheeler High School in his hometown of Marietta, Georgia, and after graduation, looked for a new athletic pursuit.  Yarbrough attended a Velocity Kickboxing class in Marietta and fell in love with the sport immediately.  Yarbaugh is currently studying Psychology at Kennesaw State University and is taking a semester off to see if he has the skills required to be named “The Ultimate Fighter.” 

His favorite fighters are Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and Chuck Liddell.  His fighting style is aggressive stand-up.

Season 8

Ryan Bader (Season 8 Light Heavyweight)
Professional Record: 7-0
The undefeated 24-year-old budding mixed martial arts star was a two-time state wrestling champion at McQueen High School in Reno, NV and was ranked third in the nation during his senior year. Bader continued his education at Arizona State University where he was a 2-time All-American and 3-time All-Pac-10 wrestler. A justice studies major with a minor in business at ASU, Bader was a roommate of “The Ultimate Fighter 7” finalist, CB Dolloway. Bader, who has previously worked as a sales and marketing representative for a telecommunications company in Phoenix, trains with Arizona Combat Sports. Currently living in Chandler, AZ, Bader enjoys lake-related sports in his spare time.

Jules Bruchez (Season 8 Light Heavyweight)
Professional Record: 3-2
The 30-year-old black belt in karate was born and raised in Lafayette, LA and competed on the football and track teams at Notre Dame High School. Bruchez was inspired to pursue mixed martial arts by the movie “Karate Kid” in 1986 and “UFC 1” in 1993. Bruchez studied Behavioral Science and Graphic Design at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Currently a personal trainer, Bruchez is a disciple of former the Olympian in judo and the dean of mixed martial arts in Lafayette, Josh Artig, at Ronan Dojo. Bruchez also trains with “The Ultimate Fighter 7” semifinalist, Tim Credeur.

Kyle Kingsbury (Season 8 Light Heavyweight)
Professional Record: 7-1-1
While most college kids deal with tackling tough classes, Kingsbury, a defensive lineman on the 2005 Sun Bowl Champion Arizona State University football team, spent his college athletic career trying to tackle the likes of future NFL stars Reggie Bush (USC) and Maurice Jones-Drew (UCLA). The communications major was a walk-on at ASU and the second “The Ultimate Fighter” contestant to play defensive line for a Division 1 college (Brad Imes, season 2). Kingsbury was born and raised in San Jose, CA and attended Monte Vista High School where he was an All-League defensive tackle and was a starter on the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League champion wrestling team as a heavyweight. Kingsbury continues to reside in San Jose where he trains with the AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) Team. Kingsbury is currently dating his college sweetheart Kristen Kovesdy, one of the most-acclaimed women’s basketball players at Arizona State University.

Tom Lawlor (Season 8 Light Heavyweight)
Professional Record: 5-1-1
Fighting out of Orlando, FL, Lawlor trains with the renowned mixed martial arts team, American Top Team, which includes “The Ultimate Fighter” alums Ben Saunders and Seth Petruzelli. Lawlor, who has been following the sport since “UFC 1” in 1993, has been training full time for the past two years following a brief career as a professional wrestler in central Florida. Originally, from Swansea, MA, Lawlor moved to Ft. Myers, Fl. in his early teens and attended Estero High School where he was a standout athlete competing on the wrestling, football and track teams. An All-State wrestler (competing as a heavyweight) and an All-Area offensive lineman in high school, Lawlor continued his athletic success at the University of Central Florida. A social sciences and education major, he was a 3-time NCWA (National Collegiate Wrestling Association) All-American at UCF. Following graduation, Lawlor decided to delay a career as a high school history teacher for a career in the ring. The 25-year-old has never forgotten his New England roots and is a big fan of Boston’s professional sports teams including the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics.

Vinny Magalhaes (Season 8 Light Heavyweight)
Professional Record: 2-2-1
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Magalhaes is the second competitor on the eight seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter” from Brazil (Jorge Gurgel – Season 3). The 23-year-old is currently training with Team Quest and UFC star Dan Henderson in Temecula, CA. A three-time World Jiu-Jitsu participant (‘02, ‘05, ’07), Magalhaes has spent the last ten years perfecting his jiu-jitsu skills, while also taking time to master the English, Spanish and Portuguese languages. Prior to coming to the states in 2005, Magaalhaes was studying for a physical education degree in Brazil, but has since changed his career path and now trains full-time with Henderson in order to become a UFC champion like his idol and coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 8,” Antonio Nogueira.

Eliot Marshall (Season 8 Light Heavyweight)
Professional Record: 5-1
A native of Franklinville, NJ, a suburb of Philadelphia, Marshall began studying martial arts at the age of six. After graduating from Delcy Regional High School, where he played forward on the basketball team, Marshall attended the University of Colorado and studied mathematics. It was in college that he discovered his passion for jiu jitsu and honed his athletic skills at Eastern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Boulder, CO. where he currently teaches today. Marshall trains in Colorado but also spends time working with mixed martial arts training guru Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, NM. Marshall currently lives with his wife, Renee, in Lake Superior, CO, but still roots for his hometown teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and Eagles.

Shane Primm (Season 8 Light Heavyweight)
Professional Record 1-0
Born in Germany on a U.S. Army base, Primm moved to Ft. Knox, TN at an early age and eventually settled in Murfeesboro, TN. Primm began his professional athletic career while attending Oakland High School as he competed in Pro Paintball from ages 13-18. A standout on the baseball diamond in high school, Primm continued his education at Middle Tennessee State University, where he opened his own mixed martial arts gym. Primm, who has been boxing for 15 years, moved from Tennessee to Tampa, FL to hone his skills at the renowned Gracie Tampa Gym with “The Ultimate Fighter” alums Matt Arroyo and Allen “Monstah Lobstah” Berube. The 23-year-old lives in Tampa with his girlfriend, Christine, and is a big fan of current UFC champions Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre.

Krzysztof Soszynski (Season 8 Light Heavyweight)
Professional Record: 16-8-1
The former popular Canadian professional wrestler, "Ivan: The Smashing Machine," Soszynski is the senior member of the house at age 31 and has fought professionally against The Ultimate Fighter alums Mike Whitehead (loss, 3-round decision) and Dan Christison (win, 3-round decision). Born in Stalowa Wola, Poland, Soszynski moved to Winnipeg, Canada at age 10. He was a star athlete at Maples High School in Winnipeg on the soccer and football teams where he played linebacker and running back. Following high school, Soszynski entered the world of professional body-building and was named the Manitoba Bodybuilding Open champion in 2000. Soon after, he began a career in the wrestling ring where Soszynski was a popular bad guy in various Canadian wrestling promotions. However, after studying grappling with fellow wrestler, Bad News Brown, Soszynski decided a career in mixed martial arts was his true calling. He currently trains in Temecula, CA. with Team Quest and UFC star Dan Henderson. Soszynski, who has fought professionally in Ultimate Cage Wars, is married and has an 11-year-old son, Nicholas.

Junie Allen Browning (Season 8 Lightweight)
Professional Record: 2-0
Born and raised in Kentucky, Browning was a two-sport star at Bourbon County High School in football and wrestling in the 160lb. division. Browning has been training in combat sports since the age of four, sparring in many of those years with his brother who is currently serving in the military and stationed in Iraq. Currently, the 23-year-old trains with Four Seasons MMA in Lexington, KY and has a 2-0 professional record after developing his skills in small mixed martial shows in obscure locales such as bike rallies and barns. He lists Georges St. Pierre among the UFC fighters he admires most.

Efrain Escudero (Season 8 Lightweight)
Professional Record: 10-0
The 22-year-old mixed martial arts fighter sports a perfect 10-0 professional record as a member of Southwest MMA in Tuscon, AZ. Escudero, who is close friends, and trains regularly with, UFC fighter Drew Fickett, grew up in Yuma, AZ and was a state champion wrestler at Cibola High School in the 140lb. weight class. Currently studying Criminal Justice and Sociology at Grand Canyon University, Escudero is on pace to graduate in 2009 with aspirations for a career in law enforcement following his time in Octagon®. A submission specialist, Escudero lists Georges St. Pierre as among the fighters he admires most.

David Kaplan (Season 8 Lightweight)
Professional Record: 3-1
The son of a member of the prestigious JAG Corps, Kaplan was an All-State wrestler at Woodbridge High School in suburban Washington, D.C. and a standout wrestler at Old Dominion University where he majored in international studies. After graduating from college, Kaplan became a C.I.A. recruiter but left his promising career to follow his true passion of being a professional mixed martial artist. He has furthered his skills by fighting and training all around the world, from Sal Paolo, Brazil, to Amsterdam. The avowed soccer fan currently lives in Alexandria, VA and serves as a muay thai instructor in Arlington, VA.

Shane 'Sugar' Nelson (Season 8 Lightweight)
Professional Record: 11-3
Born in Honolulu, Nelson is a 2002 graduate of Hilo High School in Hilo, HI. For the past six years, Nelson has trained and studied the sport of mixed martial arts with UFC lightweight champion and one of the sport’s true titans, BJ Penn. Nelson, who has worked in construction, now trains full time with many of Hawaii’s top fighters including “The Ultimate Fighter” alums Troy Mandaloniz, Kendall Grove and Anthony Torres. Nelson lists his greatest accomplishment as his 3-year-old son, Keighson.

Phillipe Nover (Season 8 Lightweight)
Professional Record: 5-0-1
The first ever New York City resident to appear on The Ultimate Fighter®, Nover was born and raised in Brooklyn. Training at Universal Defense Systems with Ralph Mitchell, Nover is as diverse as the city he lives in, as he is of Polish and Filipino descent. The 24-year-old attended Kingsborough Community College and currently works at Coney Island Hospital as a nurse. Nover acknowledges his professional life is quite the dichotomy – healing by day but fighting by night. He began training in martial arts at age nine and attended Leon Goldstein High School in Brooklyn. Nover has trained with mixed martial arts legend Renzo Gracie and former UFC champ and “The Ultimate Fighter 4” alum, Matt Serra.

John Polakowski (Season 8 Lightweight)
Professional Record: 3-1
The protege of UFC legend, Chuck Liddell, Polakowski has trained with Liddell’s legendary MMA team, Pit Fighter, for the past five years in San Luis Obispo. Born and raised in suburban Seattle, WA, Polakowski attended Kentridge High School where he wrestled in three different weight classes -- the 108lb., 129lb. and 148lb. divisions. Polakowski continued his education at California Polytechnic State University where he studied Computer Engineering. However, his current focus is on a career in the Octagon and trains full time. When able to relax, Polakowski spends the majority of his time restoring his classic 1968 Mustang.

George Roop (Season 8 Lightweight)
Professional Record: 7-3
Born and raised in Tuscon, AZ, Roop is a 2000 graduate of Canyon Del Orno High School and was quarterback on his football team and also wrestled in the 112lb. division. He continued his education at Pima Community College where he became friends with his current “The Ultimate Fighter” castmate Efrain Escudero and UFC fighter, Drew Fickett. Roop developed his mixed martial skills at Ultima Martial Arts and Primero Jiu-Jitsu in Tuscon and has competed professionally in the mixed martial arts promotion Rage in the Cage as a lightweight and bantamweight. Roop, who includes Georges St. Pierre among the fighters he admires most, has twin girls, Naya and Tristen. Rolando 'Roli' Delgado

Rolando 'Roli' Delgado (Season 8 Lightweight)
Professional Record: 5-3-1
Born in San Diego, CA, Delgado moved to Philadelphia, PA, at the age of six, before his family settled in Little Rock, AR nine years later. A self described non-athletic youngster, sports were not a major part of his life until he began wrestling in high school. However, when he moved to Little Rock, his new high school did not have a wrestling team. Needing an outlet to scratch his wrestling itch, Delgado started practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at under trainer Matt Hamilton. Now 26 years old and a black belt in BJJ, owns his own gym, West Side MMA, teaching BJJ while training for mixed martial arts contests. Possessing a 5-3-1 professional record, Delgado enjoys hunting and fishing, and the sounds of Johnny Cash on his iPod. He currently lives with his wife who is pregnant with their first child.

Season 9

Team US Welterweights

Ryan Biglar
Professional Record 2-1:
Biglar, 24, is a jiu-jitsu fighter originally from Guam who represents the Cobra Kai in Las Vegas.

Ray Elbe
Professional Record 20-11:
A Muay Thai fighter, the 25-year-old Elbe has spent the last three years working on his game in Phuket, Thailand. The most notable man he's faced was Renato Verissimo, who knocked him out in 2003.

Christian Fulgium
Professional Record 6-2-1:
A wrestler, Fulgium represents the Gladiator camp in Lafayette, La.

DaMarques Johnson
Professional Record 13-6:
Age: 26
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Trains: Salt Lake City, UT with Elite Performance

Born and raised in Utah, DaMarques Johnson shied away from high school sports during his years at Kearns High School. It wasn’t until 2001, after he enlisted in the army, that he saw his athletic potential. After easily defeating several fellow soldiers during a sparring session, he was defeated by a much smaller foe. It was that loss that peaked Johnson’s interest in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He immediately picked up the sport and after serving eight years active duty, including a stint monitoring the illegal drug trade in Columbia, Johnson returned to Utah and began training full-time in mixed martial arts.

A member of Elite Performance with UFC veteran Jeremy Horn, the 26-year old Johnson owns a 13-6 mixed martial arts record.

Kevin Knabjian
Professional Record 10-3-1:
A wrester from Eastern Illinois University, the same school that produced UFC star Matt Hughes, the one-time WEC fighter trains at Gilbert Grappling in Chicago.

Mark Miller
Professional Record 10-4:
Age: 30
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Trains: Chicago, IL with Dino Costeas Jiu-Jitsu

A former member of the Bremen High School football and track and field teams in Chicago, Mark Miller began training in mixed martial arts as a 19-year-old marine at Camp Pendleton. After 3½ years as a marine, Miller bounced around between construction jobs before taking up mixed martial arts full-time in 2006.

Currently, the 30-year old welterweight trains with Dino Costeas Jiu-Jitsu in Chicago and has amassed a 10-4 mixed martial arts record.

Jason Pierce
Professional Record 9-0:
Age: 32
Hometown: East Moline, IL
Trains: Bettendorf, IA with Miletich Fighting System Elite

A late entry into the world of mixed martial arts, Pierce did not pick up the sport competitively until he was 28 years old. A standout soccer player at East Moline High School, Jason dabbled in Kuk Sool during his high school years. He earned a full athletic scholarship to the University of Illinois at Springfield soccer team and graduated with a degree in Communications and Mass Media. Following graduation, Pierce returned to Moline, Illinois to coach high school soccer and, in 2005, he began to train in mixed martial arts when a player’s father invited him to train at no cost at the local gym.

In 2008 Pierce moved to Bettendorf, Iowa to train full-time with Pat Miletich’s camp. A blue-belt in Brazilian jiu-jtisu, the 32-year old is currently undefeated with a 9-0 mixed martial arts record.

Kiel Reid
Professional Record 8-1:
A native of Bettendorf, Reid also trains with Miletich, whose experience includes a 2004 fight against UFC veteran Luigi Fiorvanti.

Team US Lightweights

Paul Bird
Professional Record 4-1:
A striker, Bird trains at Des Moines (Iowa) MMA. He has fought in the Midwest Cage Championships promotion.

Santino DeFranco
Professional Record 13-4:
Age: 26
Hometown: Ithaca, NY
Trains: Phoeniz, AZ with Southwest MMA

Entering its ninth season, over one hundred gladiators have made their way into “The Ultimate Fighter” house. None, however, has ever shown more resilience in doing so than Santino DeFranco.

DeFranco spent his formative years in upstate New York in the town of Ithaca. He wrestled and played football in high school there before moving to South Carolina’s RB Stall High School after his junior year.

After graduating from RB Stall, he moved out west, earning an associate’s degree from Scottsdale Community College before enrolling in Arizona State University in 2000 to pursue his bachelor’s degree. Looking to stay in shape before trying out for the wrestling team there, DeFranco took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Within a week, he had his first amateur MMA fight, and over time compiled an impressive enough body of work to catch the eye of the producers of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

DeFranco went through the casting process for the show’s second season, and in the late stages, he got a phone call. Excited to hear Dana White on the line, the news he received was not what he expected: his medical clearance exam revealed that he had a brain aneurysm. He checked himself into a hospital and, in May 2005, doctors told him that his career as a fighter was over.

DeFranco underwent brain surgery to repair the aneurysm in March of 2006, and the medication he was on precluded him from doing any strenuous physical activity. Still, the urge to compete would not subside and, in January of 2007, he went for a second opinion. After extensive testing, he was cleared to resume his fighting career, which he did in April 2007, training with “The Ultimate Fighter 8” champion Efrain Escudero and UFC vet Drew Fickett at Southwest MMA in Phoenix.

Now, after much perseverance, DeFranco will spend six weeks in the desert while pursuing his dream of becoming the next “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Jason Dent
Professional Record 19-9:
Age: 28
Hometown: Madison, OH
Trains: Mentor, OH with Griffonrawl MMA Academy

A two-fight veteran of the UFC, Jason Dent of Mentor, Ohio has already tangled in the octagon with Roger Huerta (UFC 63) and Gleison Tibaur (UFC 68). The 28-year old Dent began to train in karate at 13, however, on the verge of earning his black belt, he moved away from that style to study more “challenging” martial arts. Dent quickly picked up muay thai, followed by Brazilian jiu-jistu.

A 5’9 lightweight, Dent trains, owns and operates Griffonrawl MMA Academy in Mentor, Ohio. With a combined 19-9 mixed martial arts record, Dent boasts that he has never been knocked out during a mixed martial arts or muay thai bout.

Cameron Dollar
Professional Record 4-1:
Age: 21
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Trains: Colorado Springs, CO with Fight Factory

With a soft spoken demeanor, as well as a spiked mohawk and multiple tattoos and piercings, Cameron “Money” Dollar is often mistaken for famed drummer Travis Barker. The only beatings Dollar administers, however, are not on the drums, but inside of the Octagon™.

Born and raised in Phoenix, Dollar’s family moved to Colorado Springs when he was 17, and Dollar graduated from Doherty High School there. Unable to afford college, Dollar began training in mixed martial arts to keep himself busy. While training at the Fight Factory, Dollar saw teammates Corey Hill and Noah Thomas make it onto “The Ultimate Fighter” and, inspired by their success, Dollar came to open tryouts for Season 8 in Boston, MA. Convinced that he was a shoo-in after interviewing with the producers, Dollar went back to Colorado Springs and sold his apartment and car, put his things in storage and waited for the phone call telling him to head to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, that call never came. Since then, Dollar has been living couch to couch while training and fighting, waiting for another shot at becoming “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Tom Hayden
Professional Record 4-0:
A submission fighter, Hayden is trained by popular UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel in West Chester, Ohio.

Waylon Lowe
Professional Record 5-2:
Lowe, 28, also fights for Gurgel.

Josh Souder
Professional Record 7-2:
A member of Team Prodigy, Souder has faced castmate Jason Dent in 2005, losing by TKO.

Richie Whitson
Professional Record 4-0:
Age: 22
Hometown: Sitka, AK
Trains: Temecula, CA with Team Quest

Born and raised in Sitka, Alaska, Whitson took up boxing at an early age, competing on the amateur circuit in Anchorage while obtaining his diploma from Sitka High School. He also had a healthy interest in MMA, as he watched the UFC® in its infancy, and was a huge fan of Ken Shamrock. He began to dabble in MMA while working as a commercial fisherman, and later, in 2007, as a trail crewman for the Alaskan Forest Service, he started fighting in the AFC, a local MMA promotion in Anchorage. Whitson won his first three bouts there before being offered a fight against MMA veteran Ray Cooper. He stunned many in the MMA community by not only defeating, but knocking out Cooper in the first round of their contest. After that win, Whitson decided to take up MMA full time, and, four months ago, he joined Team Quest in Temecula, CA, home of his coach on the show, Dan Henderson. While spending six weeks in Las Vegas, he is thrilled to be working with a familiar face, especially someone as well versed in wrestling as Henderson.

With a shock of long red hair, Richie Whitson bears a resemblance to another famous athlete in a growing sport, snowboarder Shaun White, so much so that his castmates have even taken to calling him “The Angry Tomato.”

Team UK Welterweights

Dean Amarasinghe
Professional Record 4-1:
Age: 25
Fighting out of: Nottingham, England
Gym: Rough House

Nottingham’s Dean Amasinger will be the first to admit he’s not your stereotypical fighter. A well-spoken and well-educated individual with a degree in biochemistry, Amasinger chose to snub a career in medicine and deal out painful dosages of his own inside the cage.

A former rugby player whose career was cut short by injury, Amasinger has always been a natural competitor. While studying at Nottingham University, the hard-working Amasinger met up with Rough House gym standouts Dan Hardy and Paul Daley, two leading stars of British mixed martial arts. Intrigued by both the training and skill set involved in the world’s fastest rising sport, Amasinger quickly enrolled.

Despite losing his professional MMA debut, Amasinger is now enjoying a four-fight win streak and is improving with each and every outing. Boasting alarming core strength and a love of takedowns and slams, the 25-year-old Amasinger looks to emulate his hero Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson en route to becoming “The Ultimate Fighter.”

James Bateman
Professional Record 2-1:
A striker, Bateman trains at Grimsby NHB in Grimsby, England.

David Faulkner
Professional Record 2-1:
Age: 28
Fighting out of: Liverpool, England
Gym: Wolfslair

Training out of the same Wolf’s Lair gym in Liverpool, England, where Michael Bisping and Rampage Jackson prepare for UFC main events, has given Faulkner the confidence of a champion heading into “The Ultimate Fighter.” Only turning professional because he believed it be a good way to supplement his income as a personal trainer and bodyguard consultant, the Liverpool native began to take training more seriously when he began to spar with UFC champions in the gym.

In a gym filled with UFC veterans as well as boxing and kickboxing champions, that Faulkner is considered to be one of the most talented fighters at the Wolf’s Lair is high praise indeed. But this well rounded fighter, who was training to represent his nation in the 2012 Olympics in Judo before “The Ultimate Fighter” came along, may well be the best kept secret in British MMA.

Tommy Maguire
Professional Record 5-2:
The 20-year-old Maguire is a striker who works with the Tsunami Gym in Wisbech, England.

Che Mills
Professional Record 7-2:
A tall welterweight at 6-foot-2, Mills works with ex-UFC fighter Mark Weir's Range Fighting Gym.

Nicholas Osipczak
Professional Record 3-0:
Age: 23
Fighting out of: London, England
Gym: Pancrase UK

Nicholas Osipczak is the kind of fighter who likes to roll the dice and take risks – inside and outside the cage. A massive poker fan who likes to chance his hand, Osipczak is also an unbeaten mixed martial artist with bundles of natural talent.

Fighting out of Pancrase UK in London, Osipczak is an undefeated pro still very much in the process of learning. He admits there’s still a long way to go, but is keen to preserve his zero for as long as possible. A thinking fighter with an ability to strategise, Osipczak displays intelligence and guile inside the cage. The former university graduate thinks on his feet and sets traps for his opponents.

It’s this kind of strategic streak that owes a lot to his love of poker and gambling. Rather than pinpointing any physical talent, Osipczak believes his strongest point is his mind and ability to out-think his opponent. While the opponent will be huffing and puffing their way in, Osipczak steps back and carefully plots their downfall. The 23-year-old Londoner hopes to come up trumps for team UK.

Alex Reid
Professional Record 10-9-1:
Reid, 33, trains in London with the London Shoot Fighters. He's faced notable opponents such as Murilo Rua, Tony Fryklund, Dave Menne and Jorge Rivera.

James Wilks
Professional Record 5-2:
Age: 30
Division: Welterweight
Fighting out of: Orange County, California, USA
Gym: Orange County Jiu-Jitsu

Nobody was more surprised at the talent level in Team UK than California-based Brit James Wilks. A student of Erik Paulsen’s Orange County Jiu-Jitsu gym, Wilks fled to the United States in 2000 after graduating from Bournemouth University with a degree in business and management. Originally looking to pursue self-defence training for a mere six months, Wilks fell in love with life in The O.C and the rest is now history.

Wilks has since been transformed into a 5-2 mixed martial arts and a thorough student of Brazilian jiu-jitsu for the past nine years. Though fiercely proud of his English heritage, this is one competitor who has been created and moulded by his stint in the USA. A unique concoction of British pride and American techniques, Wilks boasts a skill set that was originally the talk of all his Team UK counterparts.

However, upon spending time with his team-mates and discovering the talent bar was set higher than even he expected, Wilks came to the realisation that, despite his love of all things American, his choice to represent his home nation was the right one. Bringing the best of both countries to TUF 9, Wilks is instantly earmarked as a danger man on both sides.

Team UK Lightweights

James Bryan
Professional Record 3-1:
A striker, Bryan, 25, is from Somerset, England.

Dan James
Professional Record 3-0:
A striker from Swansea, Wales, he's finished two of his three pro bouts.

Gary Kelly
Professional Record 2-1:
A striker, the 25-year-old Kelly trains alongside Bisping and Jackson at Wolfslair in Liverpool, England.

Jeff Lawson
Professional Record 13-2:
Age: 30
Fighting out of: Dorset, England
Gym: Team Bulldog

Judo player Jeff Lawson describes himself as a ‘natural showman’ and enjoys nothing more than entertaining a watching audience. A high-level grappler with an impressive ground game, Lawson decided to pursue his MMA dream upon watching more and more grapplers and judo practitioners gain success in the sport.

Sensing he could translate his judo skills into an MMA repertoire, Lawson made the crossover in August 2002. He submitted Dave Mace with an arm-bar inside the first round and subsequently set the trend for his mixed martial arts career. A submission specialist with a love of the arm-bar, Lawson has submitted all but one of his beaten opponents. Most have gone within the first round.

As well as excelling in his mixed martial arts career, Lawson also studies the Brazilian art of Capoeira, and has done so for the past seven years. Always willing to try new techniques and apply them to his MMA arsenal, Lawson brings showmanship and submissions to the UK team.

Ross Pearson
Professional Record 9-3:
Age: 24
Fighting out of: Sunderland, England
Gym: Sunderland Jiu-Jitsu and MMA Club

Ross Pearson is the sort of guy who prefers to do his talking with his fists and feet. A self-proclaimed ‘quiet lad’, Pearson makes his noise inside the cage. A standout of the Sunderland Jiu-Jitsu and MMA Club, Pearson is a 9-3 lightweight with boundless potential.

A lifelong fan of the UFC, Pearson has always enjoyed the fighting arts. He previously dabbled in taekwondo, judo and boxing. Despite enrolling at college to become a bricklayer, Pearson always believed his fighting dreams would one day come to fruition.

Pearson now appears on the way to fulfilling those dreams. Since turning pro in December 2004, ‘The Real Deal’ has lived up to both his name and expectations. Finishing most of his fights within the first round, Pearson fights at a frantic and unrelenting pace that most fighters struggle to keep up with. Always learning and always improving, the 24-year-old from the North-East appears destined for big things.

Martin Stapleton
Professional Record 5-1:
Age: 25
Fighting out of: Manchester, England
Gym: Quannum Combat Arts, Manchester

Teamwork and discipline are two things that come naturally to Martin Stapleton, the Marine who also happens to excel at mixed martial arts. In the eight years spent in the Royal Marines Commandos as a Physical Training Instructor (PTI), Stapleton has loved nothing more than working in a team and overcoming adversity.

A self-described ‘prankster’ with plenty of tricks up his sleeve – inside and outside the cage – the 25-year-old can’t wait to start stirring things up within The Ultimate Fighter house. He’ll also do some stirring up inside the Octagon, too. Currently 5-1 in his mixed martial arts career, Stapleton fights out of the Quannum Combat Arts gym in Manchester and counts local boxing star Ricky Hatton as one of his heroes.

Stapleton is next in a long line of proud Mancunians with a thirst for fighting. Labeling himself a ‘perfectionist’, Stapleton admits his one-and-a-half-year pro career is moving along nicely, but can get even better in the next couple of years. A team player in an individual sport, don’t ever ask Stapleton, ‘you and whose army?’ He’s worked with some of the toughest men in the country.

A.J. Wenn
Professional Record 7-2:
A well-rounded fighter from the Tsunami Gym, Wenn is from Cambs, England.

Andre Winner
Professional Record 9-2-1:
Age: 26
Fighting out of: Nottingham, England
Gym: Rough House, Nottingham

A competitive sportsman who had excelled in soccer and athletics at school, Winner decided to combine his natural athleticism with his love of combat sports and walked into the Rough House gym in Nottingham, England several years ago. Seeing a bag and mitts session alongside emerging UFC superstar Dan ‘the Outlaw’ Hardy convinced winner that, finally, he had found the sport he was destined to dominate. A confident striker who believes he will one day challenge for World Title honors, Winner originally tried out for Season 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but did not make the cut. He returned to audition for TUF 9 a vastly more rounded fighter with some of the most razor sharp ground and pound skills of any UK fighter.

A huge follower of boxing as well as MMA, Winner believes his powerful fists are two of the most potent weapons Team UK is bringing to Las Vegas.

Season 10

Name: Zak Jensen
Age: 26
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 265 lbs
Hometown: Edina, MN
Trains: Chanhassen, MN for Gorilla Combat
MMA record: 11-2-0

Born in Edina, MN, Jensen was a standout athlete at Hopkins High School, earning All-Conference in football, wrestling, and track and field. He attended Northern Illinois University where he played both wrestled and played football. It wasn’t long until he transferred to Augsburg College where he continued his dual athletic career.

While still in college, Jensen participated in local Tough Guy Boxing Tournaments and spent his spare time in the gym. After his collegiate athletic career was over, he enrolled in the Golden Gloves boxing tournament. A friend impressed by his ability and offered him the opportunity to join his mixed martial arts team. Just two months later he had his first fight, a victory, and thus a mixed martial arts career was born.

Name: Marcus Jones
Age: 35
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 260 lbs
Hometown: Jacksonville, NC
Trains: Tampa, FL with Gracie Tampa
MMA Record: 4-1

A product of North Carolina, Marcus Jones enters the house with an impressive athletic pedigree. A three-sport star at Southwest Onslow High School, Jones earned several accolades including Gatorade All-American for football, All-Conference for basketball and was a two-time state champ in discus.

Jones elected to stay in state and enrolled at the University of North Carolina where he became a standout defensive end for the Tar Heels. An elite pass rusher, Jones was a four-time letterman, an All-American and the 1995 ACC Defensive Player of the Year during his UNC career.

In 1996, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Jones with the 22nd pick in the NFL draft. During his eight seasons he totaled 24 career sacks, including 13 during the 2000 season, placing him eighth in the league. After six seasons with the Bucs, Jones moved over to the Buffalo Bills where injuries forced him out of the league.

A life-long fan of mixed martial arts, Jones turned to the sport following retirement and began training with the renowned team Gracie Tampa and former “The Ultimate Fighter” alums Brandon Sene, Shame Primm and Matt Arroyo. A natural athlete with powerful hands, the 35-year-old Jones is looking to improve his overall game while in the house.

Name: Scott Junk
Age: 30
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 265 lbs
Hometown: Fort Orde, CA
Trains: Kailua, HI – Team MMA Development
MMA record: 6-2-0

Born in Fort Ord, CA, Scott Junk grew up in Kailua, HI. He loved football as a kid and went on to become a star offensive lineman at Kalaheo High School. After graduating, Junk returned to California to enroll in DeAnza Junior College in Cupertino, before transferring to Southwest Oklahoma State, where his stellar football play led him to being named Division II All American in 2002.

It wasn’t until after his football career was over that Junk had any interest in mixed martial arts. He was introduced to the UFC® in 2005 and immediately fell in love with its required blend of athleticism and technical prowess. He trained with many mixed martial arts teams, including BJ Penn’s group, before settling down with Team MMA Development. In 2007, Junk made his UFC® debut, taking a fight with Christian Wellisch on less than two weeks notice at UFC 76 in Anaheim. He lost that bout due to a heel hook in the first round and ever since, Junk has been eager to make his return to the Octagon™.

Junk is married with a six year old child and supports his family by working the graveyard shift doing sewage line construction in Hawaii. His profession has conditioned him for the hours of training he will need to endure in order to become “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Name: John Madsen
Age: 29
Height: 6’
Weight: 240 lbs.
Hometown: Orange County, CA
Trains: Granite City, IL for H.I.T.
MMA record: 3-0-0

Born in Orange County, CA, Madsen was raised in South Dakota and attended Dolan High School where he was recognized as an All-Conference and All-State athlete in football, wrestling and track. During his sophomore year, Madsen defeated current Heavyweight UFC® Champion Brock Lesnar in a wrestling match.

Madsen enrolled in South Dakota State University and was named National Champion in wrestling his freshmen year. After college he still had the passion to compete and decided to pursue mixed martial arts fulltime. Madsen has been training for almost two years with Matt Hughes in Hughes Intensive Training (H.I.T) Squad.

He continues to work on his jiu-jutsu and stand-up skills as he finds those are his weaknesses. Madsen must persevere and use his competitiveness to prove to the UFC® that he deserves to be the “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Name: James McSweeney
Age: 28
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 230 lbs
Hometown: London, England
Trains: Albuquerque, NM with Submission Fighting
MMA Record: 12-4

A member of Greg Jackson’s legendary Submission Fighting in New Mexico, McSweeney started kickboxing when he was six years old. At 15, he left school and moved to Thailand to train full time. An accomplished kickboxer and Muay-Thai fighter, McSweeney has been crowned winner with numerous titles including British Super-Heavyweight Kickboxing champion (1998), European Superheavyweight Kickboxing champion (1999), World Superheavyweight Kickboxing champion (2000), Thai Boxing Super-Heavyweight British champion (2001), Muay Thai European Super-Heavyweight champion (2003) and Muay Thai European champion (2006).

In 2006, after amassing a 136-9 combined record, McSweeney transitioned to mixed martial arts and recently moved in with “The Ultimate Fighter” coach Rashad Evans. The two quickly struck up a bond after McSweeney helped prepare Evans for his bout against Forrest Griffin. With his strong background in stand up, McSweeney hopes to improve his ground game.

Name: Matt Mitrione
Age: 30
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 275 lbs
Hometown: Springfield, IL
Trains: Indianapolis, IN with Integrated Fighting Academy
MMA Record: 0-0

A two-position football All-American (DT, FB) at Sacred Heart Griffin High School in Springfield, IL, Mitrione attended Purdue University where he finished seventh on the Boilermakers career tackles for loss list. The defensive tackle earned All-Big Ten honors in 2000 during his final year at Purdue. Despite going undrafted, he earned his way into the NFL as a free agent and played six seasons as a member of the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. As a member of the Giants, Mitrione suffered a horrific foot injury during a 2003 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. It took seven surgeries and a 16-month stint on crutches before he was able to return to the field. In 2006, Mitrione left football and began to pursue other interests, creating a sports nutrition company called EDN (Engineer Design Nutrition).

As a teenager in Illinois, Mitrione practiced shooto and other combat sports but was prohibited from them in college due to his football scholarship. He returned to combat sport training and took up mixed martial arts and began training in Indianapolis with “The Ultimate Fighter 4” contestant Chris Lytle and UFC® veteran Jake O’Brien.

Name: Roy Nelson
Age: 33
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 265 lbs
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Trains: Las Vegas, NV – Team Big Country
MMA record: 14-4-0

Roy “Big Country” Nelson wants you to take one look at him and underestimate him because of his physique. It makes it all the more sweet for him when the referee raises his arm at the end of the bout.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nelson has always been a gifted athlete. He wrestled and played football and baseball at Cimarron Memorial High School before graduating in 1994. He became a martial arts fan after seeing “The Karate Kid” at a young age and began training in karate and kung fu. He started watching the UFC® in 1994 and, in 2000, began training in jiu-jitsu with one of the sport’s top coaches, John Lewis in Las Vegas. Nelson also served as a training partner to many of the top mixed martial arts fighters in Las Vegas.

Four years later, he made the transition from trainer to fighter, and made his pro debut. With a devastating mixture of striking, ground and pound, and submission skills, he has compiled a 14-4 record and hold the now-defunct IFL’s Heavyweight title. “Big Country” has two recent losses to notable mixed martial arts heavyweights including a KO to former UFC® champ Andrei Arlovski last October and lost a three-round decision to Jeff Monson in March.

Name: Demico Rogers
Age: 27
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 235 lbs.
Hometown: Renton, WA
Trains: Bellevue, WA with Ring Sports United
MMA Record: 4-0

Born in Renton, WA, Rogers attended Hazen High School and was a standout wrestler and All-League football performer at both defensive end and offensive line. Following high school, Rogers elected to pursue an education from WyoTech automotive school in Laramie, WY which led to his current seven-year career as a certified master technician with Mercedes Benz.

Tired of lifting weights to stay in shape, Rogers turned to jiu-jitsu as a change of pace. After training for only two weeks, he entered a local mixed martial arts tournament and won and his love for the sport was sparked. A relative unknown outside of the Northwest, Rogers impressed show producers during Seattle’s open casting call with his athletic ability and charm. The 27-year-old has been training with Ring Sports United and Mark Messer for the past four years.

Name: Brendan Schaub
Age: 26
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 240 lbs
Hometown: Aurora, CO
Trains: Denver, CO
MMA record: 4-0

A product of Aurora, CO, Brendan Schaub has wanted to be a fighter ever since he saw the Jean Claude Van Damme classic “Bloodsport” at an early age. Since then, he has made martial arts an integral part of his conditioning regimen between football and lacrosse seasons, both sports in which Schaub was an All-State performer while at Overland High School.

After high school, Schaub gave up the hopes of being a modern day Jim Brown, quitting lacrosse to focus on football, when he was awarded a full scholarship to play fullback for the University of Colorado’s football team.

He did not, however, give up martial arts. Schaub practiced Tae Kwan-Do between football seasons to stay in shape, and help the Buffaloes capture the Big 12 North crown three of his four years on campus before graduating in 2006.

After graduating, Schaub played in the Arena Football League for the Utah Blaze and was on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad before returning to his native Colorado to begin training mixed martial arts fulltime. He captured the Colorado Golden Gloves boxing crown and was awarded a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu shortly thereafter.

Schaub, who splits his time training between T’s KO Fight Club in Colorado and Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in New Mexico, made his mixed martial arts debut in 2008. He has since compiled a 4-0 record, all wins coming by knockout less than 90 seconds into the bout.

Touting his technique over his athleticism in what makes him a dangerous mixed martial arts fighter, Schaub will take on all comers, including training partner James McSweeney, in trying to become “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Name: Darill Schoonover
Age: 24
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 250 lbs
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Trains: Copperas Cove, TX with Fighters Forge Combat Sports
MMA Record: 10-0

A talented wrestler at Coronado High in El Paso, TX, Schoonover began training in jiu-jitsu, judo, submission grappling and Muay-Thai at 17. Following graduation, he enlisted in the Army and began serving his country in September 2004. His stint included two years in Germany, one year each at Fort Hood in Texas, and Fort Irwin in San Bernardino County, CA. The former Air Defense Artillery specialist is now on active reserve. Following his military release, Schoonover turned professional in 2008 and has a perfect 10-0 record. A well-rounded fighter, his victories include five by TKO and five by submission.

Despite his age, Schoonover is one of the more experienced mixed martial artists on the show having trained for nearly seven years. An aspiring History teacher, Schoonover temporarily dropped out of Central Texas College in Killeen in order to compete on the show.

Name: Wes Shivers
Age: 32
Height: 6’7”
Weight: 285 lbs
Hometown: Jackson, MS
Trains: Jackson, MS with Hammer Hill/ Biloxi, MS with Team Remix MMA
MMA Record: 3-1

A 1995 graduate of Brandon H.S. in Jackson, MS, Shivers was a two-time football state champ and Jr. College All-American at Hinds Community College in Mississippi. The offensive tackle earned a scholarship to Mississippi State University where he went on to be selected All-SEC during his senior year and competed in two bowl games in his two seasons at MSU. In 2000 Shivers was drafted in the 7th round by the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and spent time with both the Titans and Atlanta Falcons.

After his football career ended, Shivers spent four years in law enforcement as a patrol deputy and breacher to the SWAT Team. He also began training in mixed martial arts to quench his competitive fire. A talented grappler and Muay Thai artist, Shivers is currently training with Hammer Hill in Jackson, MS and Alan Belcher’s Team Remix in Biloxi. As an aspiring UFC® heavyweight, Shivers admires the careers of long-time UFC® fighters Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.

Name: Wes Sims
Age: 29
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 260 lbs
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Trains: Lancaster, OH
MMA record: 22-12-1

A native of Columbus, OH, Sims was a star center on the basketball team at Amanda-Clearcreek High School, and went on to the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati. Upon his arrival at college, Sims decided to pursue a career in professional wrestling and dropped out after a semester to move back to Columbus in order to train. There, he linked up with Mark Coleman, who had dabbled in professional wrestling. Coleman had a better plan for Sims and convinced him to train in mixed martial arts, believing his size and length would be hard on opponents. Coleman’s instincts proved to be correct, and 10 years of training with Coleman’s Team Hammer House, Sims has compiled over 20 wins, including victories in his last three bouts by either knockout or submission.

Sims is no stranger to the Octagon™, as he had three fights in the UFC® between 2003 and 2004, including two losses to current interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir, with whom he had a very heated rivalry. He longs to exact revenge against Mir, and “The Ultimate Fighter” is his first step in doing so.

When he’s not training, the charismatic Sims is the owner of a mixed martial arts gym in Ohio, and helps out in the community by serving as the chief of the Police Athletic League, which runs youth programs in karate, boxing and grappling.

Name: Kimbo Slice
Age: 35
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 235 lbs
Hometown: Nassau, Bahamas
Trains: Miami, FL – Team Kimbo
MMA record: 3-1

One of the most intriguing figures in the history of mixed martial arts, Kimbo Slice was born in the Bahamas and moved to Miami with his mother and two brothers. A natural athlete, Slice was a star linebacker at Miami Palmetto High School and was later awarded an athletic scholarship to the University of Miami, though he did not play a down there and left after just a year and a half. After college, Slice struggled to make ends meet, and lived out of his car when employment was impossible to find.

Slice eventually found work as a bodyguard and used his natural fighting skills to protect his clients. In Miami, word spread about Slice’s explosive punching power and soon he was a part of an unsanctioned street fighting circuit: all striking, no grappling and the crowd that showed up would decide a winner if both men were still standing at the end of the battle. More often than not, Slice was the one standing, and he became a YouTube sensation as his exploits were videotaped and posted at the speed of broadband for all to see.

Millions of YouTube views later, Slice transitioned into mixed martial arts in order to provide for his fiancée and six children. He fought for the now-defunct EliteXC, headlining the first ever MMA card on broadcast television. He compiled a 3-0 record before losing to Seth Petruzelli in front of millions of viewers.

Critics cited the loss as evidence that Slice was never a real mixed martial artist, rather just a product of marketing and the YouTube generation. Slice will spend the next six weeks training in Las Vegas trying to silence them.

Name: Abe Wagner
Age: 29
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 265 lbs
Hometown: Elko, WI
Trains: Omaha, NE – MidAmerica Martial Arts
MMA record: 6-2

Growing up, Abe Wagner lived in a variety of places ranging from Milwaukee to Kansas to Colorado Springs, before settling down in Elko, WI. At Elko High School, Wagner excelled in both football and basketball. He enrolled in Michigan Tech University in 1998 and played outside linebacker on the school’s football team before receiving his degree in mechanical engineering in 2002.

The physicality of football was a part of Wagner’s life for more than eight years, and, needing a similar outlet, he started training in mixed martial arts in 2005 with MidAmerica Martial Arts in Omaha, NE, while working as Director of Finance and Operations for a burgeoning industrial supply company. Wagner has since compiled a 6-2 professional record, with four of his wins coming by TKO or KO. His athletic ability, combined with his intellectual background, will serve as tremendous assets as he strives to become “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Name: Mike Wessel
Age: 31
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 255 lbs
Hometown: Celina, OH
Trains: Little Rock, AR – West Side Kickboxing
MMA record: 6-1

Raised in Celina, OH, Wessel’s athletic career began at Celina High School, where he was a standout defensive tackle on the football team. After graduating, Wessel enrolled in the University of St Francis in Indiana, where he played nose tackle while obtaining a dual degree in special education and chemistry.

Wessel’s success on the football field led to a stint in the Arena Football League, before he accepted a job as the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Arkansas’ football team. While working there, Wessel decided to take up mixed martial arts, and proved to be a quick study. He reeled off six straight victories in a minor league mixed martial circuit before getting the call from the UFC® to fight Antonio Hardonk at UFC® 92 this past December. Despite getting TKO’d in the 2nd round, Wessel is determined to learn from the experience and bounce back strongly as he spends six weeks in the desert trying to become “The Ultimate Fighter.” Wessel currently trains in Little Rock, AR with “The Ultimate Fighter” alumnus Roli Delgado at West Side Kickboxing.

Name: Justin Wren
Age: 22
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 264 lbs.
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
Trains: Fort Worth with Travis Lutter
MMA record: 10-1-0

Growing up, Justin Wren was a huge fan of the UFC®. His fascination grew into a passion, which turned into his career. From sneaking UFC® tapes into his house as a child, to now being on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Wren is living the life he always dreamed of.

Born and raised in Fort Worth, TX, Wren attended Dallas Bishop Lynch High School, where he was named a two-time National Champion wrestler. With two Olympic gold medal winners as coaches, Wren had superb mentors to hone his wrestling prowess. During his last year at Dallas Bishop Lynch, he spent time training at the Olympic Training Center. He attended Iowa State University and joined the wrestling team, but spent his freshman year as a medical red shirt following elbow surgery. During his recovery time, he worked on his mixed martial arts skills and realized the time was now to turn pro. Even though Iowa State offered him a full scholarship, he turned it down in order to pursue his professional career in mixed martial arts.

Currently he is training in Fort Worth with “The Ultimate Fighter 4” champ Travis Lutter, and plans to move to Las Vegas to train full time with Frank Mir and Mir Striking Unlimited.

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