http://mmajunkie.com/news/26398/tuf-15-tryouts-attract-350-fighters-including-jamie-yager-kultar-gill-to-las-vegas.mmaLAS VEGAS – "The Ultimate Fighter 11" veteran Jamie Yager and K-1
kickboxing vet Kultar Gill were among approximately 150 welterweights
who attended Monday's open tryout session for "The Ultimate Fighter 15."
Additionally, more than 200 lightweight fighters also attended the
all-day session, which aims to secure a cast for the upcoming edition of
the reality series, set to begin filming in early 2012.
The prospective cast members gathered at the Fertitta family-owned Texas Station Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas.
UFC president Dana White and UFC matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby
were among the executives judging the hopefuls through grappling
matches, striking workouts and interviews. FX Director of Production
Maureen Timpa also attended the tryouts.
Gill, who has not competed in a professional MMA contest since 2008, was
a perhaps-surprising entrant into the 170-pound field's very first
group of applicants. But it was "The Black Mamba" and fellow hopeful
Cortez Coleman whose grappling match brought the first cheers from the
crowded room after a few safety-first matches kicked off the
festivities.
DREAM and K-1 Hero's veteran, Gill boasts MMA fights with Yves Edwards,
Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Caol Uno, among others.
Meanwhile, Yager made it to the quarterfinals of "The Ultimate Fighter
11," downing Charlie Blanchard and Ben Stark while competing as a
middleweight. He was ousted from the tournament by Josh Bryan and then
released from the promotion after suffering a second-round TKO loss to
Rich Attonito.
Yager has since dropped to 170 pounds and rattled off three-straight stoppage victories.
Other notable welterweights included MMA veterans Sam Alvey, Blas Avena,
Rudy Bears, Zak Cummings, Jacob McClintock, Leopoldo Serao and Dave
Terrel, as well as a host of young prospects who each had to confirm a
winning record with promotion officials before entering the actual
tryouts.
Several fighters attended the session to advise their pupils, cheer on
their teammates and simply watch the proceedings. Joe Lauzon, Vinny
Magalhaes, Cody McKenzie, Brad Tavares and others were on hand for a
stint, and MMA superstars Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva also made
cameo appearances during the day.
At publication time, the 200-plus lightweight fighters were just beginning
their session, and FX officials declined to divulge the roster of
participants.
"TUF," which debuted on Spike TV in 2005 and quickly became a driving
force for the
UFC's move into the mainstream, had launched the careers of more than
100 UFC fighters and has produced past champions such as Rashad Evans,
Forrest Griffin and Matt Serra. The 14th season, which concluded this
past weekend, was the first to feature bantamweight and featherweight
fighters.
"The Ultimate Fighter 15" marks the first edition of the long-running
program to air on FX. Unlike past editions of the series, "TUF 15" sees
each week's elimination fights air live.
Current plans call for "TUF 15" to air over a 12-week span. Coaches for
the show have yet to be determined, and it's still undetermined if the
show's contestants will be kept in seclusion for the entirety of the
show. Past editions of the series featured fighters living in a house
together without television, phones and the like. The arrangement was
necessary due to the tape-delayed nature of the broadcasts.
White, Silva and Shelby will travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil, later this
month for a Dec. 14 tryout for the first-ever Brazilian version of "The
Ultimate Fighter." According to sources close to the promotion, nearly
500 fighters have already registered for the session.
For the latest on "
The Ultimate Fighter 15" debut, stay tuned to the
UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
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