Ayub "Zap" Tashkilot

For the last couple of years the sport of MMA has in Denmark become bigger and bigger, drawing more and more spectators to the sport and even getting international attention, from MMA leagues to the country looking for fighters; When bellator recently signed a deal with danish fighter Mikkel Parlo.

BUT still there are other fighters in Denmark, some who deserve a lot more attention that the are getting, that is why i try to promote some of them here on my blog, to get them more sponsers, and hopefully more fights, sponsers and other exciting deals.

and today the focus will be on my former training partner, idol and good friend:

Ayub "Zap" Tashkilot 

Facts

Born: Space

Currently Based: Denmark, Aalborg.

Weight class: 155lbs (70kg) 

Height: 5'8"c(175cm) 

Fighting out of: X-gym (Nørresundby, Denmark)

Summary: Striking, Speed, Strong, Wrestling, Conditioning, Jiu Jitsu.

Record: 8 wins - 3 losses - 0 Draws 

Titles hold: 3 x Fightergalla lightweight Champion +  XFC (Xtreme Fighting Championship) World Lightweight Champion

Fighting out of Aalborg Denmark Ayub "Zap" Tashkilot has over the years evolved from a greco roman wrestler, to become a very strong and well-rounded MMA fighter, who argueably can be said to be one of the best in Denmark.

When fighting Zap is known for being very dominating, controlling where the fight takes place and beating his opponents by smothering them with his relentless pace, great cardio and dominating wrestling which often leads to Zap getting a dominating position and smashing away against his opponents, often times in the mounted crucifix or with good old gound and pound as seen in the pictures below 

A picture taken and video filmed from Zap's first defense of his European Lightweight Fightergalla title at fightergalla 19 against Hyram Rodriguez where Zap dominated all 3 rounds in the stand up striking department and via ground and pound on the ground that earned him a sucessfull victory via unanimous decision. 

Even though Zap is known for his controlling of his opponents with wrestling and jiu jitsu, Zap is also known for having great power behind his punches and kicks, something that was especially showcased in Zap's bout with Kristoffer Murren, were Zap landed a brutal headkick to end the fight in the second round. A head kick that has made it into various highlight videos on youtube and won't soon be forgotten.

Ayub "Zap" Tashkiot 

Is without a doubt a top class fighter and has the exsperince and skills to compete with the best in the world whether it be in Strikeforce, Bellator or the UFC.

I for one am just glad that I'm a good friend os his and that I am not in his weightclass.

But besides his great fighting skills in the cage another asset he posses is the most important thing in my mind to be a great fighter, he posses a kind heart and great humbleness.

To show him support go and add him on facebook or keep following this blog for more news on his fighting carrer:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001595391614

Womans MMA documentary

Hey everyone. I know that this documentary isn't up to date BUT! I thought it was really great and entertaining, so that is why I'm sharing it here on my blog for those of you who have not seen it or for those of you who have seen it but wants to see it again!!

Enjoy :)

MMA documentary - Woman cage fighters part 1

MMA documentary - Woman cage fighters part 2

MMA documentary - Woman cage fighters part 3

MMA documentary - Woman cage fighters part 4

MMA documentary - Woman cage fighters part 5

MMA documentary - Woman cage fighters part 6

MMA documentary - Woman cage fighters part 7

Jose Aldo gunning for former champion in Frankie Edgar

UFC's featherweight king has commented on the desire to fight former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar to sherdog.com, were he stated that if Frankie doesn't drop down to face him, Aldo just might move up and face him, all depending of the outcome of Frankie's rematch with now current lightweight champion Benson "Smooth" Henderson.

“Having Edgar, a former lightweight champion, would be amazing for the featherweight division, but if he doesn’t come down [to 145 pounds], in the future, I’m going to have to move to lightweight… Edgar thinks he won against Henderson, so he really had to stay in his division and get the rematch. If he comes to featherweight, we’ll fight. Many people want to see it.”  - Jose Aldo

The UFC is comming for you!

Dana is watching you!

 It has been reported that the UFC intends to go after individuals who watch illegal streams of events, not just the websites that host the streams.  

something very unusual for pay-per-view event copyright cases, where the most common thing is for the copyright owners it to just target the sites hosting the illegal live streams.

For example the UFC took legal action against www.greenfeeds.com and were able to obtain, email adresses, user names, and even IP adresses of everyone who watched UFC events streamed on the webpage.

So if you have ever been registered on greenfeeds.com I would surgest getting a good lawyer.

But I guess that this is a case of the UFC having enough and really taking action against people stealing from them.

GSP Update : Road to Recovery

So a new update has been released by Georges St-Pierre who just released a video of his rehab training regiment to help him recover from his surgery after his ACL injury.
most of the rehab has been done at The Sports Science lab and from the video it looks very professional, complex and grueling.

With his video which can be seen below GSP posted this message: "It’s been 3 months since Dr. Neal ELAttrache did my ACL reconstruction surgery and, with the help of Gavin and Heather Milligan at SSL, my rehab is progressing very well. I also need to thank ALL of you amazing fans who’ve been posting messages of support- gives me a boost to push through the tough days. There’s still a lot more work to be done but I can see the Octagon on the horizon!!!"

 I for one hope the rehab goes well and that we see him back soon stronger than ever!

Bec "Rowdy" Hyatt

Mixed Martial Arts started out as a pure male sport, but since the beginning back in 95, there has been some changes, more and more women have emerged to show that it is not only the male fighters who know how to  throw down in a cage and one of those fighters is:

Bec "Rowdy" Hyatt

Facts

Born: Launceston, Tasmania - 1989

Currently Based: Brisbane, Queensland.

Weight class: 115lbs (52kg) 

Fighting out of: Impact Mixed Martial Arts (Brisbane, Australia)

Summary: Aggressive, Conditioning, Submissions

Record: 1 win-1 loss- 0

After having 2 pro bouts with one win and one loss Bec is starting to make a name for herself, in her first bout she showed her aggressive style chasing down her opponent with a barage of punches, even though it costed her the fight due to a headkick, the fight marked her as a fighter to watch, so there was a lot of anticipation for her second fight in the cage.

second time around it turned out to be a lot better night has Bec totally dominated her opponent to get the submission victory and getting an impressive victory on her record and also adding people to her fan base.

 Now she will soon enter the cage yet again to face another unlucky opponent at AFC 3 (Australian Fighting Championships) saturday April 14th where she will fight against Daniela Marjanovic.

Yet another very anticipated bout, which no doubt will put Bec on the map, win or lose.

Bec "Rowdy" Hyatt 

Is not doubt a fighter to watch, as for she delivers exciting fights, shows great strenght and also is a very warm and kind person.

NO DOUBT that one day she will be joining a large organization like Bellator or Strikeforce and hopefully one day become a champion.

A great example for womens MMA so go and show her support by following her on twitter and like her on facebook, links to both are listed below:

Bec "Rowdy" Hyatt

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rowdybec

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/@RowdyBec

 

Danish Fighters show their talent and joins the international MMA scene

Saturday the 10th of March, Danish MMA took a step up, in promoting of the sport in Denmark as The new promotion Royal Arena made its debut on national TV with very high expectations to live up to with a stacked fight card filled with strikers, grapplers and tactician.

For some it turned out to be a night of victory and celebration and for others it shaped up to be a tough night, either going home with a submission loss on the record or being defeated by knockout.

but either way it was a very entertaining evening with a great result.

Joining the winning side of the equation were Mulenga Chanda, Nicolas Dalby and Mikkel Parlo.

Mulenga Chanda 

showed great will, heart, strenght and composure in his pro debut - as his opponent dit not give him any chance to breathe and utilize his superror, and kept taking Mulenga down and controling him on the ground and also trying for numerous guillotine chokes.

BUT in the second round when yet again taken down Mulenga slapped on a guillotine of his on and finishing his fight making it 1-0 as a pro.

Nicolas Dalby

 Also joining the danish winning ranks was uprising danish fighter Nicolas Dalby who also had a great fight.

in my opinion fight of the night.

Nicolas did as his fellow countryman Mulenga and also show strenght, heart and skills as he had a long hard fought fight..

When caught in bad positions he showed heart and great composure and when not, he showed strenght and great technique, earning him the unanimous decision and yet another victory to add to his undefeated record.

Mikkel Parlo

 Last to join the danish fighters in victory was Mikkel Parlo who also got to leave the cage with a added win to his undefeated record as he clearly dominated the fight up to the point were he nailed his opponent to the liver with a brutal kick that staggered his opponent giving Mikkel the opportunity to fill up with a barrage of punches earning him a TKO victory.

But yet more was instore for Mikkel, because not only did he win the main event of the evening in impressive fasion, later it was announced that Mikkel had been given an offer from Bellator Fighting Championship and has accepted with open hands and will be fighting for the organization in the United States.

joining Martin Kampmann in being the only two danish fighters fighting in huge American  fighting organizations.

Congratulations to all the fighters win or lose you all put on a great show!

And to Mikkel, Nicolas and Mulenga

Tillykke og forsat god kamp karriere!

TUF 15 Elimination fights - Submissions, Knockouts and Decisions

There you have it. Last night the first episode of TUF 15 aired live on FX with some amazing elimination fights!

People were chocked out, Ko'ed and sent home by the judges in a explosive first episode of The Ultimate Fighter season 15.

The Show started out with a introduction to the new season with John Anik and Dana White and soon followed the series intro.

also short after a video was shown of the fighters as they arrived two days earlier to the UFC training center to meet their coaches and Dana White, where a bombshell was dropped on them, with Dana White Announced that the fights to get into the house were only going to be ONE five minut round, which lit a fire among the fighters.

And as always Dana said his famous quote "Don't leave it in the hands of the judges!"

Not far after the first fight was aried live and rest of the night presented us with an explosive night of fights! and here is the results of the fights!:

Joe Proctor vs. Jordan Rinaldi
In the night’s first bout, jiu-jitsu specialists Joe Proctor and Jordan Rinaldi faced off. 

They both started trading punches, kicks and uppercuts but eventually Proctor was the one to successfully get the trip and get hold of a guillotine choke against the cage and earning the first finish and submission of the night and also earning him a bonus of $5,000 and also being the first one to be advancing on in the competition.

Advancing into the house: Joe Proctor 

Cristiano Marcello vs. Jared Carlsten
The season’s lone Brazilian contestant, Gracie black belt Cristiano Marcello, took on rangy Eddie Bravo BJJ student Jared Carlsten in the second bout of the night and his experience proved too much for the undefeated prospect. As all ofther fights it started standing but as soon as it hit the ground it was clear who was the more experienced as Cristiano Marcello took control of the fight with slick transisions and ground and pound and eventually sunk in the choke on Carlsten, as he tried to turn away to try and escape. 

Yet another fight costing Dana White  $5,000 and making Cristiano Marcello the second fighter to enter the house.

Advancing into the house: Cristiano Marcello  

Erin Beach vs. Sam Sicilia
The third bout of the night was a very short one as it was ended by Sam Sicilia after only 8 seconds with a huge overhand right to the jaw of Erin Beach. Making Sicilia the third fighter to enter the house and also earning $5,000

Advancing into the house: Sam Sicilia 

Austin Lyons vs. Chris Tickle
Chris Tickle also made it a quick fight against jiu jitsu ace Austin Lyons with a hard punch just 24 seconds into the opening round which led the reff to stop the fight. Might have been an early stoppage in some people's eyes, but at least it saved Austin Lyons from some unnecessary punishment.

With the win Christ Tickle also joins the  $5,000 wagon and advanced to the TUF house.
Advancing into the house: Chris Tickle 

Brendan Weafer vs. Andy Ogle
Brendan Weafer vs Andy Ogle was not that much of an exciting fight. 

The fight started standing and was taken to the ground and when it did Weafer caught Ogle in a triangle choke but without completing it and without really trying to finish it leaving Ogle the rest of the round smashing Weafer in the face for the remainder of the fighter earning him the decision win and a spot in the house.
Advancing into the house: Andy Ogle 

Vincent Pichel vs. Cody Pfister
Vincent Pichel and Cody Pfister waged a bloody, sloppy, all-over war, with kickboxer Pichel walking away with the submission win over the jiu-jitsu specialist. The fight was ended when Pichel opened a huge gash on the side of Pfister’s face with elbows from the top, and as Pfister spun away, “From Hell” locked in a rear-naked choke that nearly put Pfister to sleep after 3:39. 
Advancing into the house: Vinc Pichel 

Mark Glover vs. John Cofer
A lot of takedowns in this bout where Georgian John Cofer gave the UK fighters a 1-1 record, using active wrestling to defeat Liverpool’s Mark Glover by decision. The judges were unanimous in promoting Cofer to the home. 
Advancing into the house: John Cofer 


Chase Hackett vs. Chris Saunders
One word came to mind when watching this fighter: CARDIO!!
Jiu-jitsu specialist Chase Hackett used striking and wrestling against kickboxer Chris Saunders, but Saunders’ striking and numerous guillotine attempts earned him the win after a full round of effort.  Judges unanimously gave the fight to Saunders, whose pink Mohawk will move into the house, much to the disappointment of the mustachioed Hackett. 
Advancing into the house: Chris Saunders 


James Vick vs. Dakota Cochrane
The bout finally came with the renound Dakota Cochrane who had drawn a lot of attention due to his past with gay porn but who was given the benefit of the doubt by the UFC.
Sadly Dakota Cochrane’s wrestling pedigree was basically neutralized during a five-minute scrum with undefeated striker James Vick, who eked out the win without doing any significant damage with strikes.  Vick earned the split decision win and propelled himself into the house over the All-American pole vaulter.
Advancing into the house: James Vick


Johnavan Vistante vs. Michael Chiesa
After a couple of fights going the distance The fight finish trend picked back up during the night’s 10th bout, as Michael Chiesa tapped out striker Johnavan Vistante in just 2:05, snaking an arm under his opponent’s neck, drawing the tap and another $5,000 finish bonus. 
Advancing into the house: Michael Chiesa


Mike Rio vs. Ali MacLean

Yet another submission finish ended the eleventh bout of the evening as Miami’s Mike Rio swarmed on Northern Ireland’s Ali MacLean, dominating him on the ground before scoring the night’s fourth rear-naked choke victory at 3:32.
Advancing into the house: Mike Rio  


James Krause vs. Justin Lawrence
Though James Krause, a WEC vet with 18 pro fights, had the experience on paper, it was 3-0 Justin Lawrence whose unmentioned 150 amateur kickboxing bouts paid off as he swarmed for a fast TKO win in a matchup of two mixed martial artists from Missouri at just 1:25. 
Watching the fight you could argue that Justin Lawrence is the one to watch this season as he looked brutal and dominant in his elimination bout to get into the house.
Advancing into the house: Justin Lawrence 


Drew Dober vs. Daron Cruickshank
Daron Cruickshank put on a blistering first couple of minutes against Drew Dober, showing the crowd what happens when a fighter is raised by a pro kickboxer mom and a striking coach father, dominating with a brutal kicks and punches and explosive pace and fast takedowns earning him an obvious invitation to the TUF Live house.  
Advancing into the house: Daron Cruickshank 

Jeremy Larsen vs. Jeff Smith
Striker Jeremy Larsen was nimble enough to avoid the grasp of submission grappler Jeff Smith, even as much of their five-minute fight unfolded on the mat. 
as the two had an 5 min. grappling match that saw Jeremy get the better of the ground game and earning him a spot in the TUF house 
Advancing into the house: Jeremy Larsen 


Jon Tuck vs. Al Iaquinta
A former TUF contestant in Al Iaquinta  saw himself once again in the UFC training center
as he righted that opportunity Friday with a unanimous decision win over dangerous jiu jitsu fighter Jon Tuck, who limped away with an injury of his own, as Al Iaquinta accedently steped on Jon Tuck's foot and messed up his two really bad. Iaquinta stood and raised his arms in victory as Tuck stayed seated against the cage, having his clearly injured toe checked out by the commission doctors, a sight that triggered the gag reflex of most of the audince both at home and around the ring. 
Advancing into the house: Al Iaquinta 



Akbarh Arreola vs. Myles Jury
A second TUF vet got a second chance in the house as Myles Jury – forced to leave the season 13 house due to a knee injury – decisioned experienced Tijuana fighter Akbarh Arreola. Earning him a spot in the house and a second chance to become The Ultimate Fighter.
Advancing into the house: Myles Jury 




After the fights were done Dana, Cruz and Faber congratulated the fighters and gave a short speech as to what was instore for them as seen below and the verbal preview for the next episode was presented once again by John Anik as the first episode of TUF 15 was concluded.


Congrats to all the fighters and get ready for yet another explosive season of The Ultimate fighter!!

Dana White, Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber congratulating last nights winning fighters

The Ultimate Fighter 15 @Live and a bitter rivalry

Bitter Rivals Face off on The Ultimate Fighter 15

Finally the time is upon us and a new season of The Ultimate Fighter is upon us!

Only this time a very special twist has been added to the show... It will all be shown LIVE!!

Team Cruz vs Team Faber Promo

All the fighters have been introduced and so have the coaches for this 15th season

Dominick "The Dominator" Cruz and Urijah "The California Kid" Faber

Two opposing fighters known with a history of furious battles both in and out of the octagon 

and have had two clashes that have let them to a score of 1 and 1, and at the end of the season they will have their third and final fight to determin who is the more dominant fighter.

Dominick Cruz Promo video for TUF 15

Urijah Faber Promo video for TUF 15

It is sure shaping up to be a tough and intense season with alot of friction between both the fighters and the two coaches. Although Dominick has said in a interview that he is not going to go beserk and do anything stupid; "The only person i've met so far is Faber and that sucks, I'm not going to lose it on Faber, I might go crazy with what I say, but I'm not going to bust him up or nothing to early. I will wait to july 7th and we got a date to fight then and I'm pefectly fine with waiting until that day. I'm not the type of guy that goes crazy and punches as hole in the wall, but if I don't like you I will tell you straight to your face that you suck!"

You feel that the tension is there, but at least it will give us a great season with alot of eksplosive fights and training sessions.

There has also been a discussion about one certain fighter joining the TUF 15 cast, who has a past of once having done Gay porn. BUT! the fighter was upfront with the UFC and admits it was a mistake from his past and the UFC promisses that he will not be judged upon that fact.

A good thing in my opinion, SO what! just because he made a mistake in his past does not mean that he doesn't deserve shot of becoming the next ultimate fighter.

who knows he might be the next big thing we are looking for..

So all those out there who are going to judge him bassed upon that fact... don't watch the show..

I know I'm very excited for this season and can't wait for the first episode that launches tonight! 

So to all of the MMA fans out there I hope you will be tuning into the show just like me, to watch a great season of The Ultimate Fighter - Team Faber vs Team Cruz 

For those of you know do not who this seasons competitors are underneath is a list with comments  taken from : http://uk.ufc.com/news/A-New-Era-Begins-for-The-Ultimate-Fighter-Tonight

So that you can get acquainted with all the fighters! 

Who are the 32 lightweight hopefuls competing for a UFC contract and the chance to change their careers and lives over the space of just three months? They range from seasoned vets to youngsters with just a handful of pro fights, and they hail from everywhere from Tijuana and Belfast to England and New York. Here’s a look:

Akbarh Arreola (19-6-1) – A Mexico native who lives in Tijuana, but fights and trains out of Chula Vista, California, Arreola has faced the likes of Mac Danzig, Toby Imada, and Ronys Torres, and owns a win over UFC and TUF5 vet Gabe Ruediger.

Al Iaquinta (5-1) – The 24-year old Serra / Longo fight team member from Wantagh, New York has come up in the same Ring of Combat promotion that once played host to UFC vets like Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, and stablemate Chris Weidman.

Ali Maclean (9-5-1) – A 22-year old Belfast native, Maclean is the first Irish fighter on TUF, and he brings a five fight winning streak into the competition. “Growing up, everyone else played soccer, but I was rubbish in that and every other sport,” he said. “So I do what I do best and what my life revolves around and that is train and fight.”

Andy Ogle (8-1) - Tynemouth, England’s Ogle did play soccer in high school, but by 2008 he was competing as an amateur in MMA, and a little over a year later he made his pro debut. Following a loss in his second fight, he has won seven in a row.

Austin Lyons (9-1) – Tennessee submission specialist Lyons has finished seven of his pro wins by tap out, and he expects similar success on TUF. “Guys don’t want to go to the mat,” said Lyons, who once tipped the scales at 250 pounds. “I’ll let somebody take me down because I know I can submit them.”

Brendan Weafer (6-3) - New York’s Weafer began fighting in 2005, though after an on and off career, it wasn’t until 2011 that the 28-year old striker began to hit his stride, as he won two in a row leading into this week’s premiere.

Chris Tickle (7-4) - Bloomington, Illinois’ “Bad Boy” Tickle gets right to the point when it comes to his fighting philosophy heading into the TUF competition: “I want it more than anyone,” he said. “I’m experienced, relentless, very aggressive and like to beat you up.”

Cody Pfister (6-3) – Tough Texan Pfister learned to fight “as the smallest kid growing up, weighed about 80 pounds.” That scrappy attitude and determination has led him to six pro wins in nine fights and a shot at earning a spot in the TUF house.

Cristiano Marcello (12-3) – The lone Brazilian in the 32-man field, Marcello hails from the same city asAnderson Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and with wins in six of his last seven bouts, the former Chute Boxe jiu-jitsu coach is hoping a win on TUF will allow him to join his countrymen in the Octagon.

Chase Hackett (4-1) – 4-1 as a pro with three victories by submission, Littleton, Colorado’s Hackett has gotten off to a good start to his career, but until he starts winning on TUF, the talk will likely center on the epic mustache sported by the man nicknamed “Prison Stare.”

Chris Saunders (9-2) – A veteran of nearly three years in the pro game, Long Beach, California’s Saunders was in with WEC veteran Chris Horodecki in his most recent bout last July.

Dakota Cochrane (11-2) - Omaha, Nebraska’s Cochrane has been a pro since 2009, but his biggest win came last September, when he decisioned former WEC champion Jamie Varner. Now he’s got the opportunity to take things even further if he can win on Friday night.

Daron Cruickshank (10-2) – Cruickshank has done well for himself thus far in MMA, but that’s not surprising, considering that the 26-year old Wayne, Michigan native’s mother is a former pro kickboxer and that his father is his striking coach. Now it’s time to see if TUF is ready for his family’s brand of Taekwondo.

Drew Dober (8-3) – Being in the world’s living room every week is nice, but that’s not why Omaha’s Drew Dober is here. “I’m here because this is what I was meant to do. And destiny, fate, whatever, but I believe I’m going in the right direction and I’m going to be the Ultimate Fighter because I work hard, I push myself, and I have a lot of heart and passion in this.”

Erin Beach (3-1) – Motivated by the birth of his daughter to give his MMA career a hundred percent in terms of dedication, San Diego’s Beach will likely have one fan cheering him on Friday night, his Alliance MMA stablemate and TUF Live coach Dominick Cruz.

James Krause (15-4) – One of the most experienced fighters in the 32 man field, Blue Springs, Missouri’s Krause is a WEC veteran who faced Donald Cerrone and Ricardo Lamas in the blue cage. Winner of three in a row, Krause is eager to get back in the big show.

James Vick (4-0) – Unbeaten as a pro, Fort Worth, Texas’ Vick has got his future in the sport all planned out. “If I get on this show and win, with basically five years of training, then in my mind I can be a world champ in another five.”

Jared Carlsten (3-0) – Nicknamed “Crazy Legz,” LA’s Carlsten has finished all three of his pro bouts via submission, not surprising considering that he owns a brown belt under Eddie Bravo.

Jeff Smith (9-1) – 24-year old Smith lost his first pro bout via submission in 2009, but no one has come close to beating the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania native since, with seven of his nine wins coming by way of tap out. 

Jeremy Larsen (8-2, 1 NC) – A veteran of the Arizona fight scene, Phoenix’ Larsen has won four of his last five, with the only loss coming to UFC vet Efrain Escudero. 

Joe Proctor (7-1) – Despite graduating with a degree in business management from UMass-Dartmouth, Pembroke’s Proctor just wants to fight. “I have more drive than anybody else,” said the 26-year old. “I have so much heart and I want to fight for a living.”

John Cofer (7-1) – If Hull, Georgia’s Cofer wins on Friday night and gets into the TUF house, he may have a leg up on his competitors because it’s likely that he got some pointers from his trainer at the Hardcore Gym, TUF3’s Rory Singer.

Johnavan Vistante (3-1) - Pearl City, Hawaii’s Vistante goes by the nickname “The Immortal Warrior,” and if you sport a moniker like that, you’d better be ready to back it up. He is. “I’m a monster striker,” he said. “If Anderson Silva and Jon Jones had a baby, it’d be me.”

Jon Tuck (6-0) – Guam’s Tuck doesn’t mess around when the bell rings, ending all six of his pro bouts in the first round. And with three knockouts and three subs, he can get you wherever the fight goes.

Jordan Rinaldi (5-0) – Hailing from Matthews, North Carolina, Rinaldi is a highly-regarded prospect who has finished four of his five pro opponents by submission. Included in this list is TUF 14 finalist and current UFC fighter Dennis Bermudez.

Justin Lawrence (3-0) – The 21-year old Lawrence, who has been kickboxing since the age of six, claims to have over 150 amateur fights, which makes him an interesting puzzle to solve for any opponent.

Mark Glover (6-1-1, 1 NC) – Thai specialist Glover makes no bones about it; when this Liverpool native is in there, expect fireworks. “I don’t like all these wrestlers who hold people down and bore the crowd. People pay good money to watch you put on exciting fights and that’s the mindser to go into fights with.”

Michael Chiesa (7-0) - Spokane Valley, Washington’s Chiesa has represented the Pacific Northwest well thus far as a pro, winning all seven of his bouts, including five by submission.

Myles Jury (9-0) – The unbeaten Jury is no stranger to TUF fans, as he was a competitor on season 13 before a knee injury forced him from the show. Promised by White to get another shot, that shot comes this Friday for the San Diegan.

Mike Rio (8-1) – A two-time state wrestling champion in high school, Miami’s “Wolverine” is a well rounded competitor who has ended four of his victories by knockout and three by submission.

Sam Sicilia (10-0) – With three consecutive wins in less than 30 seconds, hard-hitting Spokane Valley, Washington product Sicilia may be one of the best finishers on this season’s 32 man roster.

Vinc Pichel (6-0) – But then there’s Sherman Oaks, California’s Pichel, whose six pro wins have all come by knockout, making him a pretty fair bet for some future Knockout of the Night bonuses should he get past Friday night’s elimination bouts and go on to win a UFC contract.

There you have it - 32 fighters, one UFC contract, and what promises to be a season to remember, not just for the competitors, but for everyone watching.

“You have people that have dreamt and trained for this moment and this opportunity their whole life, and then you get to sit back and watch what they do with this opportunity,” said White. But he forgot one thing…

You watch it live.