TUF Latin America 2 cast revealed
TUF Latin America 2 cast revealed
The second season of The Ultimate Fighter® Latin America will premiere starting the week of August 26 on UFCFIGHTPASS.com, Televisa PM Channel 5 in Mexico, UFC® Network and additional Free-to-Air Networks in Latin America
Team Gastelum and Team Escudero, each composed of eight Latin American fighters from the welterweight and lightweight divisions, will challenge each other to find out who will be the season two winners of The Ultimate Fighter® Latin America
Kelvin Gastelum (The Ultimate Fighter® winner of season 17) and Efrain Escudero (winner of season Eight of the reality series and first Mexican to win a contract with the UFC), will be official coaches of the second Spanish speaking series of the reality show. In this ninth international edition of the most challenging sports tournament on television, Gastelum will lead a team of four lightweight (155lbs) and four welterweight (170lbs) fighters against Escudero’s squad of eight similarly divided fighters from Latin American countries.
The list of competitors includes fighters hailing from Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Spain. The competitors are listed in alphabetical order (Name, Professional MMA record, Age, Hometown):
LIGHTWEIGHT
Enrique Barzola (10-2), 25, Lima, Peru
Horacio Gutiérrez (3-1), 24, Guadalajara, Mexico
Oliver Meza (3-0), 28, Panama City, Panama
Jonathan Ortega (7-2-1), 31, Temuco, Chile
Marco Polo Reyes (19-7), 30, Mexicali, Mexico
Daniel Salas (15-5), DF, Mexico
Christihian Soto (5-4), 31, Managua, Nicaragua
WELTERWEIGHT
Héctor Aldana (5-0), 26, San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico
Wilmer Fernández (7-1), 33, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Alvaro Herrera (8-3), 29, Guadalajara, Mexico
Enrique Marín (8-2), 28, Sevilla, Spain
Kevin Medinilla (5-0), 23, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Erick Montaño (9-5), 29, DF, Mexico
Marco Olano (6-1), 21, Lima, Peru
Vernon Ramos (3-0), 22, La Fontana, Panama
Fans from the following countries will be able to catch the season on their respective free-to-air networks: Bolivia: Red Uno, Mexico: Channel 5, Nicaragua: Viva Nicaragua, Honduras: Teleprogreso, Panama: NexTV, Paraguay: Telefuturo, Chile: Via X, Peru: America TV and Venezuela: Meridiano TV. The season will premiere on these networks the week of August 26, though dates and weekly episodes will vary per country. Viewers should check their local listings for further information.
More networks will be confirmed prior to the series premiere and subscribers to the UFC Network in Latin America will also get the chance to catch replays and watch exclusive content.
The season finale will be featured during Mexico’s second live event later this year. The card will host the final lightweight and welterweight bouts of the series, crowning the winners of The Ultimate Fighter® Latin America season 2. Further event and ticket details will be released later this summer ahead of the scheduled on-sale at the end of August.
In addition to Kelvin Gastelum and Efrain Escudero, The Ultimate Fighter® has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and produced champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Matt Serra and current bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw as well as season winners including Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz. Mexican American Tony Ferguson captured the season 13 lightweight title, while Diego Sanchez, also of Mexican descent, was the first-ever winner of the franchise. Sanchez defeated Kenny Florian, a fighter of Peruvian descent, at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale in 2005. In 2014, Mexican featherweight fighter, Yair Rodriguez, and bantamweight competitor, Alejando Perez, were crowned season winners of the first Spanish speaking series of The Ultimate Fighter® Latin America.
