Debuting this weekend, FOX Sports 1 is tying a significant percentage of its success aspirations to the UFC franchise.<\/p>\n
Saturday’s network debut, for instance, will be built around the Chael Sonnen vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua card.<\/p>\n
But the mixed martial arts promotion’s presence on FS1 will not be limited to special, stacked fight night cards; regular programming will also figure into the lineup of a network hoping to emerge as a legitimate ESPN competitor.<\/p>\n
One such program is veteran reality series “The Ultimate Fighter.”<\/p>\n
A centerpiece of UFC’s journey to prominence, “TUF” reigned for many seasons as an elite performer for Spike TV. It only delivered modest ratings in its three seasons on FX, but as a recognizable franchise with a recognizable format, it undoubtedly represents an important asset for the new sports network.<\/p>\n
With an intriguing format shakeup–female fighters, for the first time ever, will participate–and coaches with a legitimate rivalry, this season’s “TUF” does not represent a half-hearted effort from UFC.<\/p>\n
Who will join coaches Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate in the effort to revitalize the aging, yet still recognizable “Ultimate Fighter” series? FOXSports.com revealed the list of sixteen female and sixteen male fighters who will vie for a spot in the competition:<\/p>\n
Women’s Bantamweight Fighters<\/p>\n
Shayna Baszler (15-8), 33, Sioux Fall, S.D.
\nRevelina Berto (3-1), 24, Winter Haven, Fla.
\nJessamyn Duke (2-1), 27, Richmond, Ky.
\nTonya Evinger (11-6), 32, Lake St. Louis, Mo.
\nLaura Howarth (4-0), 26, Hove, East Essex, ENG
\nTara LaRosa (21-3), 35, Albuquerque, N.M.
\nValerie Letourneau (4-3), 30, La Prairie, CAN
\nBethany Marshall (4-1), 25, Newport News, Va.
\nSarah Moras (3-1), 25, Kelowna, CAN
\nMargaret \u201cPenny\u201d Morgan (2-0), 33, Nashua, N.H.
\nGina Mazany (3-0), 25, Seattle, Wash.
\nRoxanna Modafferi (15-10), 30, Pittsfield, Mass.
\nJulianna Pena (4-2), 24, Spokane, Wash.
\nRaquel Pennington (3-3), 24, Colorado Springs, Colo.
\nJessica Rakoczy (1-3), 36, Las Vegas, Nev.
\nColleen Schneider (4-3), 31, Las Vegas, Nev.<\/p>\n
Male Bantamweight Fighters<\/p>\n
Christopher Beal (7-0), 28, Somis, Calif.
\nCody Bollinger (14-3), 22, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
\nLouis Fisette (6-1), 23, Winnipeg, CAN
\nRafael Freitas (6-0-1), 29, Albuquerque, N.M.
\nDavid Grant (8-1), 27, Bishop Auckland, ENG
\nTim Gorman (9-2), 30, West Des Moines, Iowa
\nAnthony Gutierrez (4-0), 22, Lee\u2019s Summit, Mo.
\nEmil Hartsner (4-0), 23, Luberod, SWE
\nJoshua Hill (9-0), 26, Binbrook, CAN
\nChris Holdsworth (4-0), 25, Woodland Hills, Calif.
\nPatrick Holohan (9-0-1), 25, Dublin, IRL
\nSirwan Kakai (9-1), 23, Coconut Creek, Fla.
\nDaniel Martinez (18-4), 28, San Diego, Calif.
\nMatthew Munsey (4-1), 26, Hollywood, Fla.
\nLee Sandmeier (9-0), 30, Knoxville, Iowa
\nMichael Wootten (6-0), 24, Liverpool, ENG<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[7],"tags":[603,355,354,406,187],"adace-sponsor":[],"yoast_head":"\n