or


[03/09/09 - 11:31 AM]
'The Ultimate Fighter: United States VS. United Kingdom,' Premieres April 1
UFC stars Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson will host the new season.
[via press release from Spike TV]

'The Ultimate Fighter: United States Vs. United Kingdom,' Premieres April 1

Season Features 16 Lightweights and 16 Welterweights In A Battle For International Supremacy In The Octagon(R)

Two Of The UFC's Top Middleweights, Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson, To Serve As Coaches

NEW YORK, March 9 -- More than two centuries after the United States achieved its independence from England, friction between the two nations is about to flare up again when "The Ultimate Fighter: United States Vs. United Kingdom" premieres Wednesday, April 1 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT on Spike TV.

For these 32 up-and-coming mixed martial arts fighters, two things are on the line: bragging rights for their respective countries, and a six-figure contract with the preeminent mixed martial arts organization in the world, The Ultimate Fighting Championship.(R)

Season nine of Spike TV's wildly successful original series, "The Ultimate Fighter," features 16 lightweights (155 lbs) and 16 welterweights (170 lbs). They will train and compete under the watchful eye of the coaches, "The Ultimate Fighter 3" champion and top middleweight contender Michael Bisping, and former concurrent PRIDE champion of the 185 lbs and 205 lbs divisions and U.S. Olympian, Dan Henderson.

Each of the 32 contestants must fight his way into the Ultimate Fighter House by winning a preliminary bout that will be featured during the first two episodes (April 1 and 8). The remaining 10 episodes will feature the victorious 16 fighters and their quest for the coveted "Ultimate Fighter" crown.

The 32 fighters for "The Ultimate Fighter: United States Vs. United Kingdom" include:

Fighting to Represent the United States

Welterweight:

- Ryan Biglar

A member of team Cobra Kai in Las Vegas, Biglar is a 24-year-old jiu-jitsu artist originally from Guam.

- Ray Elbe

Born and raised in Arizona, the 25-year-old Elbe (20-11) has spent parts of the last three years perfecting his muay thai skills in Phuket, Thailand.

- Christian Fulgium

Fighting out of the Gladiator camp in Lafayette, Louisiana, Fulgium is a wrestler with a combined 6-2-1 mixed martial arts record.

- DaMarques Johnson

Johnson, a member of Elite Performance in Salt Lake City, Utah, began training in mixed martial arts in 2001 while serving in the military. He has since amassed a 13-6 mixed martial arts record.

- Kevin Knabjian

Born and raised in Chicago, Knabjian (10-3-1) wrestled at Division 1 Eastern Illinois University and graduated with a degree in Business Management. Knabjian trains out of Gilbert Grappling in Chicago.

- Mark Miller

A 5'10" welterweight muay thai artist, Miller (10-4) trains out of Dino Costeas MMA and Toro Muay Thai in Chicago.

- Jason Pierce

A former soccer standout at the University of Illinois at Springfield, Pierce (9-0) trains with Bettendorf's Miletich Fighting Systems camp.

- Kiel Reid

Born and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa, Reid (8-1) returned to the area in 2005 to take up mixed martial arts full-time with the Miletich Fighting Systems camp.

Lightweight:

- Paul Bird

A stand-up fighter, Paul Bird (4-1) trains in West Des Moines, Iowa out of the Des Moines MMA camp.

- Santino DeFranco

26-year-old Santino DeFranco trains out of Southwest MMA in Tempe, AZ. A 5'10" jiu-jitsu specialist, DeFranco holds a 13-4 mixed martial arts record.

- Jason Dent

Sumbission specialist Jason Dent owns and operates Griffon Brawl gym in Mentor, Ohio. He holds a combined 19-9 mixed martial arts record with bouts against Roger Huerta at UFC 63 and Gleison Tibau at UFC 68 under his belt.

- Cameron Dollar

A member of Fight Factory in Colorado Springs, CO, Dollar (4-1) has trained with TUF alums Cory Hill and Noah Thomas.

- Tom Hayden

Tom Hayden, 4-0, is a ground specialist who trains out of TUF 2 alum's Jorge Gurgel camp in West Chester, OH.

- Waylon Lowe

Fighting out of Jorge Gurgel's camp in Ohio, the 28-year-old Waylon Lowe owns a 5-2 mixed martial arts record.

- Josh Souder

A well-rounded fighter out of Team Prodigy in Ohio, the 5'7" Josh Souder owns a 7-2 overall mixed martial arts record.

- Richie Whitson

Born and raised in Alaska, the heavy-handed Whitson holds a perfect 4-0 mixed martial arts record. He currently trains out of Temecula, CA with Team Quest.

Fighting to Represent the United Kingdom

Welterweight:

- Dean Amarasinghe

Rough House Gym's Dean Amarasinghe (4-1) is a 5'10" grappler from Nottingham, England.

- James Bateman

5'10" striker James Bateman (2-1) trains with Grimsby NHB in Grimsby, England.

- David Faulkner

5'9" ground specialist David Faulkner trains with Wolfslair in Widnes, England. The 28-year-old born in Kirkby holds a 2-1 mixed martial arts record.

- Tommy Maguire

20-year-old Tommy Maguire trains in Wisbech, England with Tsunami Gym. The 5'7" stand-up fighter holds a 5-2 mixed martial arts record, with three wins coming via TKO.

- Che Mills

Born is Gloucester, England, 6'2" welterweight Che Mills (7-2) trains with Mark Weir's Range Fighting in the UK.

- Nicholas Osipczak

Sporting a perfect 3-0 record, Nicholas Osipczak trains in London, England with Pancrase UK.

- Alex Reid

Alexander Reid trains in London, England with the London Shoot Fighters. The 33-year-old stand up artist is 10-9-1 in his twenty mixed martial arts bouts.

- James Wilks

Born and raised in England, 30-year-old fighter James Wilks has trained with Eric Paulson in Orange County, California since 2000. The 6'1" striker is 5-2 in his mixed martial arts career.

Lightweight:

- James Bryan

Lightweight James Bryan (3-1) is a 25-year-old stand up fighter from Somerset, England.

- Dan James

Dan James, 3-0, is a stand up artist fighting out of Swansea, Wales. The 5'10" fighter has won two of his fights by TKO.

- Gary Kelly

Wolfslair fighter Gary Kelly (2-1) is a 25-year-old striker from Liverpool, England.

- Jeff Lawson

5'6 lightweight Jess Lawson (13-2) trains with Team Bulldog out of Dorset, England.

- Ross Pearson

24-year-old striker Ross Pearson (9-3) is a member of Sunderland Jiu-Jitsu & MMA Club in Sunderland, England.

- Martin Stapleton

Born in Manchester, England, 25-year-old Thai boxer Martin Stapleton (5-1) trains with Quannum Combat Arts.

- AJ Wenn

Cambs, England's AJ Wenn is a well-rounded fighter training out of Tsunami Gym. The 24-year-old has a 7-2 mixed martial arts record.

- Andre Winner

Lightweight Andre Winner (9-2-1) trains out of Rough House in London, England.

During the six-week taping of "The Ultimate Fighter: United States Vs. United Kingdom," these 16 men who survived the prelims endured a grueling regimen of jiu-jitsu, judo, muay thai, karate, boxing and wrestling. The intense competition between the fighters continues after they leave the gym - at The Ultimate Fighter House. These warriors must live together, knowing that any day they might be forced to fight each other in the famed UFC Octagon(TM).

The two finalists will square off in a live finale Saturday, June 20 on Spike TV, when the two weight class winners will be declared "The Ultimate Fighter" and net the aforementioned contract and a cash prize. UFC President Dana White will once again serve as host of the series.

After each show, Spike.com users will get exclusive extended footage from each episode and an exclusive video leak of the upcoming episode.

Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films and Television, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White of Zuffa, LLC, and Kevin Kay of Spike TV are the show's executive producers. Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, Sports & Specials, Spike TV is co-executive producer and Christopher Martello is executive in charge of production for Spike TV.





  [march 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· ULTIMATE FIGHTER, THE (ESPN)




[04/17/24 - 01:03 PM]
Sunday Night's "Billy Joel: The 100th - Live at Madison Square Garden" Wins Its Time Period and Hits a High Note Scoring 5.73 Million Viewers
It originally aired Sunday, April 14 and due to the overwhelming demand from his legion of fans, will have a special encore airing this Friday, April 19 and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
[04/17/24 - 12:16 PM]
Season Three of Musical Game Show "Don't Forget the Lyrics" Hosted by Emmy Award-Winner Niecy Nash Premieres Thursday, May 23 at 9/8c on FOX and the Next Day on Hulu
Additionally, the season finale of "Farmer Wants a Wife," previously announced as airing on Thursday, May 9, is now scheduled to air on Thursday, May 16 following the return of "I Can See Your Voice."
[04/17/24 - 12:10 PM]
Great American Family Announces Production Wrap on "A Christmas Less Traveled," Starring Candace Cameron Bure and Eric Johnson, Part of Great American Christmas 2024
In the film, "The Dine and Dash" diner has a stack of mounting unpaid bills, forcing its owner, Desi (Bure) to sell her beloved, mint condition, cherry red 1964 Ford F-100, a gift from her deceased father.

[04/17/24 - 11:00 AM]
National Geographic Honors WW2 Soldiers of Color with Two New Specials
Continuing National Geographic's 136-year record of giving viewers access to pivotal historical moments with new breadth and insight, the network will honor the contributions and sacrifices of overlooked Allied soldiers of color with two new specials on Monday, June 3.
[04/17/24 - 10:02 AM]
Paramount+ Announces New Episodes of "Behind the Music" to Premiere May 1
The new episodes profile Bell Biv DeVoe, Trace Adkins and Wolfgang Van Halen and remastered episodes feature 50 Cent, Bobby Brown, Ice-T, Milli Vanilli, The Notorious B.I.G. and Sinead O'Connor.
[04/17/24 - 10:00 AM]
National Geographic Unravels the Culture-Defining Stanford Prison Experiment and Its Controversial Legacy in "The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth" (w.t.)
From director Juliette Eisner, executive producer Alex Braverman and Muck Media, the three-part series unravels the layers of intrigue and controversy surrounding one of psychology's most debated studies from the past 50 years.
[04/17/24 - 09:59 AM]
Iliza Shlesinger Heads to Prime Video for Next Stand-Up Comedy Special
The taping will take place at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City on November 2, and the premiere date for the one-hour special will be announced at a later date.
[04/17/24 - 09:49 AM]
"Saving Sakic" Now Streaming on ESPN+
The documentary follows the high-stakes saga that ensued when Colorado Avalanche Chairman/CEO Charlie Lyons was blindsided by an attempt to sign away the captain of his team, Joe Sakic.
[04/17/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Sweet Tooth" - Final Season - Official Teaser Trailer - Netflix
Experience the final season June 6, only on Netflix.
[04/17/24 - 09:01 AM]
Apple Renews Globally Acclaimed, Hit Space Drama "For All Mankind" for Season Five and Announces New Spinoff Series "Star City"
"Star City" is a propulsive, paranoid thriller that takes us back to the key moment in the alt-history retelling of the space race - when the Soviet Union became the first nation to put a man on the moon.

[04/17/24 - 08:07 AM]
First Look: Hulu Documentary Film "Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge"
An unprecedented look at the non-stop life of a cultural luminary, the film launches June 25 on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.
[04/17/24 - 08:03 AM]
All-New Season of "Ghost Adventures" Returns Wednesday, May 15 on Discovery Channel
This season documents some of the team's most haunting encounters yet, including sinister Skinwalkers and an unprecedented first-ever investigation of the iconic Los Angeles Hospital.
[04/17/24 - 07:20 AM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Celebrates One-Year Anniversary, Continuing Its Reign as Television's Number One Entertainment Talk Show
The series has increased in Total Viewers by 3% year over year (2.288 million vs. 2.229 million).
[04/17/24 - 07:07 AM]
Global Music Icon Barbra Streisand to Release New Single for Upcoming Peacock and Sky Original Series "The Tattooist of Auschwitz"
This will be Streisand's first ever recording for a TV series and will be released globally by Columbia Records on April 25, ahead of the series global launch on May 2.

[04/17/24 - 07:04 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for Season Three of Global Hit Comedy Series "Acapulco," Starring and Executive Produced by Award-Winning Actor Eugenio Derbez
"Acapulco" returns for season three with the first two episodes debuting globally on Wednesday, May 1, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through June 26.