One of the organizations worst kept secrets has been let out of the bag — TUF 21 will feature team vs. team, as American Top Team goes head to head against the Blackzilians.
UFC President Dana White announced the 10th anniversary season at the “Welcome to the Show” press conference on Saturday.
TUF 21 announced as American Top Team vs Blackzilians
The show has moved from Las Vegas to South Florida and the winning team has the ability to take home $500,000 and first ever The Ultimate Fighter Team Trophy.
Some of the sports best athletes train at these two gyms. American Top Team is home to the likes of UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler, Thiago Alves, Hector Lombard, Yoel Romero and Tyron Woodley. Florida’s Blackzilians is home base to Rashad Evans, Anthony Johnson, Vitor Belfort and Michael Johnson.
This season of The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians premieres with a two-hour episode Wednesday, April 22, at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 andwill continue with 11 more one-hour shows Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. This is the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter to air on FOX Sports 1. The series is the network’s highest rated and most watched original program since the network’s inception in August 2013.
This season features eight rising welterweights from each team who will be selected by their respective gym owner to live in a South Florida house alongside their competition. The fighters will continue to train at their home gym with their own coaches and sparring partners. However, fights will no longer be held at a neutral site and now move to the teams’ respective gyms, always leaving one fighter to compete in enemy territory. Adding to the anticipation ahead of each bout, opponents won’t be known until the weigh-in. The culmination of the season will see two fighters meet at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in summer 2015, where the winning gym will be crowned.
This season’s cast includes:
AMERICAN TOP TEAM BLACKZILIANS
Marcelo Alfaya (16-7, 1NC) Porto Alegre, Brazil Valdir Araujo (14-5), Gama, Federal District, Brazil
Steve Carl (21-4), Belle Plain, Iowa Carrington Banks (3-0), Peoria, Ill.
Nathan Coy (14-5), Vallejo, Calif. Luiz Buscape (16-5), Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil
Michael Graves (4-0), Toledo, Ohio Jason Jackson (4-2), Kingston, Jamaica
Hayder Hassan (6-1), Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Vicente Luque (7-4-1), Westwood, N.J.
Sabah Homasi (8-4), New Brunswick, N.J. Andrews Nakahara (4-2-2), Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Uros Jurisic (5-0), Ljubljana, Slovenia Felipe Portela (8-2), Brasilia, Brazil
Steve Montgomery (8-2), Florence, S.C. Kamarudeen Usman (5-1) Auchi, Nigeria
