Spike TV and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) officials today (July 10) announced the complete cast of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 at the UFC Fan Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The Heavyweights” will also be available for autographs and photographs from 11 a.m. until noon at booth #149 for those who are attending the festivities.
TUF 10 is currently in production. It is scheduled to debut on Spike TV on Sept. 16, 2009, at 10 p.m. ET. Former Elite XC posterboy Kimbo Slice — who rose to stardom via YouTube.com with his bareknuckle brawls on the mean streets of Miami — was the only officially confirmed cast member prior to today.
However, the complete list of competitors was leaked last month. In addition to Slice, it includes a former IFL champion, several NFL players and a few UFC veterans.
TUF 10 will be the first TUF season to feature heavyweights since the second season in late 2005. Commissioned to coach this eclectic band of misfits will be two former light heavyweight champions in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “Sugar” Rashad Evans.
The date for “The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale” has already been slated for December 5, 2009, in Las Vegas. Following the finale, coaches Jackson and Evans are expected to duke it out for the number one contender position in the light heavyweight division at UFC 107 from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., a few weeks later.
Check out the official TUF 10 cast after the jump, courtesy of SpikeTV:
Zak Jenson (11-2): Standout wrestler at Augsburg College
Marcus Jones (4-1): Former 1st round NFL draft pick who had a six-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Scott Junk (6-2): Division II All-American football player at Southwest Oklahoma State and fought in UFC 76
James McSweeney (12-4): Former international kickboxing and Muay Thai champion
John Madsen (3-0): Defeated Brock Lesnar in a high school wrestling match
Matt Mitrione (0-0): Played for New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings
Roy Nelson (14-4): Former IFL Heavyweight Champion
Demico Rogers (4-0): High school football and wrestling star
Brendan Schaub (4-0): Played for Buffalo Bills and Arena Football’s Utah Blaze
Darrill Schoonover (10-0): Decorated Army veteran
Wes Shivers (3-1): Former member of the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons
Wes Sims (22-12-1): Fought two heated battles with former UFC champ Frank Mir at UFC 43 and UFC 46
Kimbo Slice (3-1): Former EliteXC heavyweight contender and YouTube sensation
Abe Wagner (6-2): Played linebacker at Michigan Tech and has a degree in mechanical engineering
Mike Wessel (6-1): UFC veteran and former strength and conditioning coach at University of Arkansas
Justin Wren (10-1): High school All-American wrestler
For more on TUF 10 check out our complete archive right here.
60 Comments »
The pic is awesome, I can’t stop laughing
This is the only season that i cant wait for to start
just a question for you guys am i the only one that thinks alves MIGHT not make weight today..
he was at 183 yesterday and 175 this morning…he will make weight.
Nelson FTW.
6 figure contract in one hand and a big ol’ bucket o’ chicken in the other…
I’ll second that OJR. Ridin that Big Country war wagon. (at least through tuf)
Same here…I didn’t know anything about him until he beat the snot out of “Pitbull” for a while. Have to love the guy…However….they will now need to put an extra couple refridgerators in the TUF house!
Madsen’s claim to fame is that he beat Brock in a high school wrestling match? LMAO.
I laughed more at the guy who put “high school football star” on his resume. At least Madsen beat someone we know. lol
John Madsen: Defeated Brock Lesnar in a high school wrestling match LOL!!! Was that on his application!!! They were in high school was 15 years ago. !! irrelevant !!
I beat you by 6 seconds. LOL.
This is the only season that i cant wait for to start
just a question for you guys am i the only one that thinks alves MIGHT not make weight today
am i the only one that thinks your a jackass for posting the same thing twice in the same thread
Wrestlers and football players. I have a feeling the fights are going to be BORING.
Really BNF? I thought you had more respect for the game than that? First, how many enormous guys 220 + pounds do you know that spent their whole life fighting? I don’t know if you know this but most martial arts base themselves off of being the sport for little guys to beat big guys… what big guys do you know that need to learn to defend themselves? Second, since when is wrestling not the fundamental skill of the BEST heavyweights to walk in the octagon? Even Fedor will admit that wrestling is one of the best bases for fighting. Sambo is based on wrestling and judo essentially. Third, all I have to say is Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez and of course the Natural and you have no valid argument for saying wrestlers are boring. Lastly, not being a wrestler doesn’t guarantee that you aren’t boring… i.e. Kenny the dodger Florian and Thales run from Silva Leites.
Maybe I should clarify then, since you seem so upset. I meant wrestlers who are new to MMA, like many of the TUF fighters in the beginning of their MMA careers. They were very boring until they added some other techniques to their arsenal, like Bader, Rashad, Maynard, Koscheck, ect… Of course wrestling is important, but wrestlers with no other skills to match equals boring.
Spooner I agreed with you right until you threw Kill-Flo into the boring category. Dude has two UFC fights go the distance. One he got humped by a bloodied-up Sherk, the other was a methodical destruction of Huerta. His other nine or 10 opponents have been finished.
When these big guys get drunk; that house is going to get seriously F*ed up.
Yeah maybe Kimbo can stay a show or 2 just to bring in a couple porn stars he used to bodyguard to make it even more interesting.
I don’t think so… most of these guys are older and probably much more mature… the house usually gets fucked up by the kids on the show
maybe its just me, but watch the espn live vid again where rashad is talkin about kimbo…when hes asked about kimbo he responds as if kimbo has already lost his fight…hes talking in the “past” tense like kimbo’s gonna take this and see what he can learn from it..
maybe its just me
Well he’s supposed to lose; if he won the show it’d be a huge upset; I’m willing to be all those guys have the skills to take him down and sub/lay n pray him.
bet*
If Rashad knew anything he would definately keep his mouth shut. I don’t think Rashad knows anything.
He’s speaking in past tense because the filming of the show is already over.
I kind of thought that, very valid point
i caught on to the same thing. we will have to wait and see.
You’re not the only one sleeper…I hope he does though.
My gawd, give it to MMAMANIA to put up a great picture that has us all rolling. Can’t wait for September.
Is it even about Mixed Martial Arts anymore or is it just about wrestling/football meatheads and high ratings?
you know what, it’s not about mixed martial arts anywhere, they’re just fighting under MMA rules..
nobody would be interested in seeing some random guys, it’s the 10th season they need something to create interest
James McSweeney seems like a cool guy, he should be able to knock all of those guys out if the fight stays standing..
That’s what I was thinking. I don’t know about his personality, but his backgound seems like he could be exciting to watch.
According to Sherdog, he’s 3-4… Usually not a good bet to expect much from a guy with a losing record.
Ah, so Blackledge was a coach after all. Mcsweeney is toast if his fight hits the ground.
Watch out for Marcus Jones. I would put a sleeper bet on him making it to the finals. He trains with Rob Kahn, already has some experience in the ring and is just a big dude with lots of power.
Also, did you know this will be Rob Kahn’s 6th student to make the show?
You sayin 6th times the charm then?
yeah i know, Marcus is my boy i want him to win the show!
“Get in mah belly!”
The lack of strikers makes me think they told Kimbo “Just train your takedown defence and you will have this in the bag.”
I bet they will match Kimbo up against Marcus Jones or something retarded like that and he still will get KTFO.
As a side piece of trivia, has their ever been a successful debut of a NFL player in MMA? (Brocks NFL “career” not counting.)
I remember seeing Johnny Morton get KTFO.
Michael Westbrook formerly of the Washington Redskins busted some dude up pretty bad. But then dropped MMA siting he was ‘affraid of what he would do to someone.’
i dont beleive kimbo will get any special shit,he will fight like every one else.only thing is his contract after tuf he will make some more green because hes well known.no,hes not getting chuck liddell money.
I would take random guys with creditials over football meat any day of the week.
sounds pretty nasty when your looking at “taking meat” from anyone..
you got some gay in you huh
why you want meat
Scott Junk will be the sleeper in the house i seen him fight in Edmonton very tough guy
Mike Wessel. Woo Pig Sooie!!!!
Obvious motive to help fill their weak ass HW Division.
But Dana, I thought you have “the best HW division on the planet”…please.
the hw division is hard to fill in mma.theres not alot of big guys who arent so big they are fat slobs.thats why the ufc has a wt limit.so you dont have 400 pound pigs in the ring.
who has a better hw division than the ufc?
HOly shit! Abe WAgner! thats my Alma Marter.
I’d be surprised if Nelson losses this season but I’m rooting for McSweeney, this guy has awesome Muay Thai.
yeah,he looks real dedicated
did i use correct spelling
if not kmamf
A little presumptuous about Mir, they didn’t refer to him as Interim Heavy Weight Champion but rather FORMER champ ahahaha thats great!
mir could win,but i think brocks gonna give him a knock
hey ausburg is where huerta wrestled in college, i wonder if theyre buddies.
THESE YOUNGER GUYS MIGHT SUPRIZE SOME FANS…
Am I the only one that thinks the IFL champion, with his experience will do a lot of ass kciking?
what about the Army veteran?