History has been made. The UFC takes its “The Ultimate Fighter” program to Asia for the very first time, as China is set to play host to the world’s most prominent MMA reality series. UFC star and former Strikeforce Middleweight champ, Cung Le, serves as mentor and Chief Coach of “TUF: China”, while UFC’s first Chinese fighter Zhang Tie Quan, and China’s Mixed Martial Arts legend Ao Hai Lin, serve as team coaches for the cast members.

Get acquainted with the cast from The Ultimate Fighter: China

As previously reported, 16 contestants consisting of Lightweights and Welterweights will vie for the opportunity to claim a lucrative six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The fighters were chosen based on try-outs and interviews held in Beijing, at the Cotai Strip Resorts in Macau and the Marina Bays Sands in Singapore.

“The inaugural The Ultimate Fighter China is a ground-breaking program and is an unprecedented initiative for any global sports league in China,” Mark Fischer, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of UFC Asia, said. “With national distribution through Liaoning Satellite TV, and the support from our presenting sponsors Cotai Strip Resorts Macao and Marina Bay Sands of the program, we will not only discover and develop the next generation of UFC fighters from China, but also introduce the UFC to millions of new fans across China.”

The list of 16 finalists was trimmed down from more than 150 initial applicants hailing from Greater China, United States, Canada, and Malaysia. The competitors – in alphabetical order (Name, Age, Country) – are divided in the following two weight classes:

Featherweight (145-lbs/66kg)

• Chong Allen Solomon, 31, Malaysia
• Fu Changxin, 21, China
• Lee Chunhan, 26, Chinese Taipei
• He Jianwei, 24, China
• Ning Guangyou, 32, China
• Shih Liang, 35, United States
• Yang Jianping, 25, China
• Yao Zhikui, 22, China

Welterweight (170-lbs/77kg)

• Cheng Albert (Chang Kang), 27, Canada
• Dong Xin, 21, China
• Li Jinying, 26, China
• Wang Anying, 22, China
• Wang Sai, 27, China
• Wu Qize, 25, China
• Zhang Lipeng, 22, China
• Zhu Qingxiang, 30, China

Get acquainted and check out the unedited details of each cast for “TUF: China” below:

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CONTESTANTS

• Welterweight: Albert Cheng (0-0), 28, fighting out of Canada. Albert’s parents didn’t want him to train MMA, but given his passion, they eventually relented. He’s wrestled for nine years and done MMA for five. Raised in Canada, he is very interested in Chinese culture.

• Featherweight: Allen “Orangutan” Chong (0-2), 31, fighting out of Malaysia. Allen is a resident architect for a hospital site in Malaysia, and owns a MMA gym in SaPa. He has trained MMA for six years, the same amount of time he’s known his wife — a judo black belt.

• Welterweight: Dong “The Jade Dragon” Xin (3-0), 22, fighting out of Xian. This bright, humorous fighter gained his love of martial arts from his father, who sent him and his brother to train. He says his team, Xian Sports Academy, is the only authentic MMA school in China.

• Featherweight: Fu Chang Xing (0-0), 21, fighting out of Ji Ling. Xing considers himself the best fighter in the show. When he was 14, his mother took her own life and his father left home, so Fu has had to take care of himself since then.

• Featherweight: He Jian Wei (6-3), 24, fighting out of Beijing. “Yangtze Uksw” was born in Guang Xi to a poor family. His parents are still farmers and he hopes to change their fortune through hard work. He started BJJ training in 2012.

• Welterweight: Li Jin Ying (0-0), 24, fighting out of Shenyang. A spiritual yoga instructor with plenty of TV experience, he is eager to be Asia’s biggest MMA star. He also admits that he’s naturally shy.

• Featherweight: Ning Guang You (3-2), 31, fighting out of Beijing. When he’s not training at Guang You Fighting, You is home with his two-year-old son. In a 2009 bout, he lost to Korean Kyung Ho Kang, who is now in the UFC. His goal is to avenge that loss in a UFC rematch.

• Featherweight: Rocky “Koala” Le (3-0), 26, fighting out of Taiwan. Raised by a single parent, Le drifted into gangs. When he was 22, martial arts helped him turn his life around. He loves learning English, riding his bicycle and reading psychology books.

• Welterweight: Zhang Lipeng (6-7), 23, born in Inner Mongolia, fighting out of Beijing. Zhang is sensitive and emotional, especially when it comes to his family. Zhang began training in 2008, but his strength was evident before then: At age 11, he carried 50 kg bags of rice.

• Welterweight: Zhu Qingxiang (0-0), 29, born in Shandong, fighting out of Beijing. “Leopard” has his own gym and hopes his 3-year-old will train there one day. Zhu considers himself a true mixed martial artist, having started in MMA rather than Sanda or wrestling.

• Featherweight: Shi “Zombie” Liang (1-0), 35, fighting out of Beijing. This Chinese-American has a law degree from Cornell and works as a movie producer. He trained martial arts as a child and started MMA when he saw the first-ever UFC event in 1993.

• Welterweight: Wang Anying (2-0), 22, fighting out of Xian. Wang’s parents didn’t support their son’s foray into the sport, but his resolute drive forced them to compromise. He trains at the Xian Sports Academy.

• Welterweight: Wang Sai (6-4), 27, born in Shandong and fighting out of Beijing. Known as the The Fire Kylin, Wang’s confidence is reflected by his costars, who consider him a tough opponent. Wang nearly gave up MMA at one point before finally forming his own team in Chengdu.

• Welterweight: Wu Qize (1-0), 24, born in Henan, fighting out of Beijing. An HR major, Wu began doing Muay Thai to get in shape. He felt that discipline was too rigid for his personality, so he shifted to MMA.

• Featherweight: Yang Jian Ping (6-3), 24, born in Hunan, fighting out of Beijing. “The Tiger” has been in the business for 12 years and is mentored by the UFC’s Zhang Tiequan. Ping is one of the China’s biggest MMA stars and very popular on social media.

• Featherweight: Yao Zhi Kui (1-1), 22, born in Henan, fighting out of Beijing. The younger brother of famous Chinese fighter Yao Hong Gang, Big Yao worked two jobs to pay for them to study wrestling, Sanda and BJJ. He has also trained with Tiequan Zhang in the United States.

MENTOR, CHIEF COACH

• Former Strikeforce champ Cung Le’s role in “TUF: China” will mimic that of Dana White’s in the American editions of The Ultimate Fighter.

On December 7, “TUF: China” will be aired on Liaoning Satellite TV, reaching more than 830 million viewers across China. The LIVE Finale event to determine the inaugural champion of The Ultimate Fighter China will take place at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena in March of 2014.

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