Ultimate Fighter 12 Cast Revealed
The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 returns to the airways September 15th, as Georges St. Pierre and Ultimate Fighter original Josh Koscheck return to the show as coaches.
Neither are strangers to the Ultimate Fighter environment.
As mentioned, Koscheck competed in the middleweight tournament and was a semi-finalist on the show’s inaugural season. During his time on the show, he defeated his in-house rival Chris Leben, before bowing out in the semis following a close decision loss to eventual middleweight winner Diego Sanchez. Since then, he dropped down to 170 pounds, where he has become one of the top ranked fighters in the division.
St. Pierre participated on the fourth season of the show, serving as a “Special Advisor” and one of the unofficial coaches to Team Mojo and Team No Love.
This season, 28 lightweights will shoot for the six-figure contract and their spot in infamy. Season 12 will mark the return of the single elimination tournament to determine which fighters will get into the house. Also brought back was the Wild Card format, where two eliminated fighters will square off for a chance to return to the show.
Several name fighters with experience fighting in the “majors” round out the cast. Of prominence are former Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting vet Nam Pham, four-time WEC vet Mike Budnik, Jose Aldo’s second WEC victim Jonathan Brookins and Affliction veteran JJ Ambrose. Also rounding out the cast are the Joseph Duffy, the first Ireland-based fighter to compete on the show; and Matt Hughes’ jiu jitsu coach Kyle Watson.
The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 premiers September 15.
Main Cast
JJ AMBROSE
Fighting out of: Santa Clara, Calif.
Gym: American Kickboxing Academy
Record: 12-2
Age: 23
PAUL BARROW
Fighting out of: Tampa, Fla.
Gym: Gracie Tampa
Record: 2-0
Age: 24
JASON BRENTON
Fighting out of:Grand Junction, Colo.
Gym: Eighth Street Impact Boxing
Record: 6-0
Age: 23
Fighting out of:Orlando, Fla.
JONATHAN BROOKINS
Figting out of: Orlando, FL
Gym: Gracie Barra Orlando
Record: 11-2
Age: 24
MIKE BUDNIK
Fighting out of:Broken Arrow, Okla.
Gym: Triton
Record:8-4
Age: 35
ALEX CACERES
Fighting out of:Miami, Fla.
Gym: Young Tigers Foundation
Record:4-2
Age:21
SAKO CHIVITCHIAN
Fighting out of:Glendale, Calif.
Gym: Gokor/Gene Le Bell/Hayastan MMA
Record:5-0
Age:26
JOSEPH DUFFY
Fighting out of:Donegal, Ireland
Gym: Falcon Martial Arts
Record:7-0
Age:22
PABLO GARZA
Fighting out of:Fargo, N.D.
Gym: Academy of Combat Arts
Record:7-0
Age:26
TOBY GREAR
Fighting out of:Los Angeles
Gym: True Warrior
Record:7-4-1
Age:30
DANIEL HEAD
Fighting out of:Sharpsville, Ind.
Gym: Indiana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Record:6-2
Age:23
MICHAEL JOHNSON
Fighting out of:Springfield, Mo.
Gym: Springfield Fight Club
Record:8-4
Age:23
AMIR KHILLAH
Fighting out of:Kalamazoo, Mich.
Gym: Jeremy Horn’s Elite
Record:6-4
Age:30
JEFF LENTZ
Fighting out of:Lanoka Harbor, N.J.
Gym: Kurt Pellegrino MMA Academy
Record:6-1
Age:21
SEVAK MAGAKIAN
Fighting out of:Glendale, Calif.
Gym: Hayastan MMA/Main Event
Record:8-3
Age:24
STEVE MAGDALENO
Fighting out of:Torrance, Calif.
Gym: VMAT MMA Gym
Record:5-1
Age:28
ANDY MAIN
Fighting out of:Boonton, N.J.
Gym: AMA Fight Club
Record:4-1
Age:21
CODY MCKENZIE
Fighting out of:Metaline, Wash.
Gym: Fancy Pants Fight Team
Record:10-0
Age:22
T.J. O’BRIEN
Fighting out of:Prole, Iowa
Gym: Round Kick MMA
Record:13-3
Age:23
SPENCER PAIGE
Fighting out of:Watertown, N.Y.
Gym: Central New York MMA
Record:5-2
Age:24
NAM PHAN
Fighting out of:Garden Grove, Calif.
Gym: Ma Du Academy
Record:15-7
Age:27
MICHAEL RICHMAN
Fighting out of:Rosemount, Minn.
Gym: Minnesota Fight Factory
Record:8-0
Age:24
DANE SAYERS
Fighting out of:Fargo, N.D.
Gym: Academy of Combat Arts
Record:7-1
Age:22
ARIEL SEXTON
Fighting out of:San Jose, Calif.
Gym: Renzo Gracie Academy
Record:6-3
Age:28
MARC STEVENS
Fighting out of:Lorraine, N.Y.
Gym: Team Balance/Relson Gracie Academy
Record:12-5
Age:24
KYLE WATSON
Fighting out of:St. Louis
Gym: The Hit Squad
Record:13-6-1
Age:30
RAN WEATHERS
Fighting out of:Albquerque, N.M.
Gym: Greg Jackson’s MMA Academy
Record:13-5
Age:28
AARON WILKINSON
Fighting out of:Manchester, England
Gym: Wolfslair MMA Academy
Record:6-3
Age:23
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