The upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter 23 will once again showcase mixed martial arts’ global expansion, as Polish strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and No. 1 contender Claudia Gadelha of Brazil lead a group of light heavyweight and strawweight hopefuls. Thirty-two Athletes from countries such as the Netherlands, Algeria, France, Norway, Spain, Canada, Brazil, England and the United States fight for one of 16 spots available in the premiere episode Wednesday, April 20 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1.
Cast revealed for TUF 23
There will be no shortage of intensity and drama with Jedrzejczyk (11-0, fighting out of Olsztyn, Poland) and Gadelha (13-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) as one of the most intense rivalries in all of mixed martial arts plays out on screen. The two fought in December 2014 with women’s legend Jedrzejczyk narrowly edging out Gadelha before eventually going on to win the strawweight world title. There will be no love lost between the two as their epic feud plays out every Wednesday night leading up to their highly anticipated rematch.
Since making her UFC debut in 2014, Jedrzejczyk has gone on to become one of the most dominant champions in the UFC and is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the sport. With pinpoint accuracy and lightning quick speed, she has the ability to keep the belt in Poland for the foreseeable future.
Submission ace Gadelha will have revenge on her mind throughout the season and in their rematch, looking to prove that her slick submission game is exactly what it will take to counter Jedrzejczyk’s world class striking. As the only athlete to put the champion in danger of defeat, she looks to join Fabricio Werdum and Rafael Dos Anjos as the third Brazilian UFC champion at the culmination of the season.
The show will feature 12 episodes airing Wednesdays on FS1. Each episode’s winner will advance in the single-elimination tournament, leading to the season finale on July 8 in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week. The finale will be headlined by this season’s coaches in a world title bout as Jedrzejczyk collides Gadelha.
Below is a full list of competitors by weight class and in alphabetical order (name, professional record, age and hometown):
|
Strawweight |
Light Heavyweight |
| Alyssa Krahn, 3-1, 28, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada | Abdel Medjedoub, 3-0, 30, Mila, Algeria |
| Amanda Cooper, 1-1, 24, Bath, Mich. | Andrew Sanchez, 7-2, 27, Shiloh, Ill. |
| Amy Montenegro, 7-2, 32, Forks, Wash. | Cory Hendricks, 3-0, 27, Lynden, Wash. |
| Ashley Cummins, 3-3, 28, St. Louis, Mo. | Elias Urbina, 3-0, 22, Weslaco, Texas |
| Ashley Yoder, 4-1, 28, Indianapolis, Ind. | Eric Spicely, 8-0, 29, Stoughton, Mass. |
| Chelsea Bailey, 2-0, 23, Chewelah, Wash. | Jamelle Jones, 6-2, 28, Atlantic City, N.J. |
| Helen Harper, 4-1, 28, Farnborough, England | John Paul Elias, 3-0, 27, Fresno, Calif. |
| Irene Rivera, 6-2, 22, Barcelona, Spain | Joshua Stansbury, 7-2, 31, East Liverpool, Ohio |
| Jamie Moyle, 3-1, 27, Las Vegas, Nev. | Kenneth Bergh, 3-0, 26, Oslo, Norway |
| JJ Aldrich, 2-1, 23, Aurora, Colo. | Khalil Rountree, 4-0, 26, Las Vegas, Nev. |
| Jodie Esquibel, 5-1, 29, Albuquerque, N.M. | Marcel Fortuna, 8-1, 30, Tubarao, Brazil |
| Kate Jackson, 7-2-1, 29, Lostwithiel, England | Muhammed DeReese, 5-0, 27, Titusville, Fla. |
| Kristi Lopez, 2-0, 33, Quartz Hill, Calif. | Myron Dennis, 12-4, 27, Oklahoma City, Okla. |
| Lanchana Green, 2-1, 26, Darlington, England | Norman Paraisy, 15-4-2, 1 NC, 30, Paris, France |
| Mellony Geugjes, 0-1, 23, Amsterdam, Netherlands | Phil Hawes, 3-0, 27, Little Ferry, N.J. |
| Tatiana Suarez, 3-0, 25, Fontana, Calif. | Trevor Carlson, 10-2, 27, Spring Creek, Nev. |
