http://mmajunkie.com/news/30668/brunson-osterneck-silva-hicks-among-120-hopefuls-at-tuf-17-open-tryouts.mmaLAS VEGAS – Four-time Strikeforce veteran Derek Brunson, UFC veterans Nissen Osterneck and Jay Silva, and six-time WEC veteran Marcus Hicks were among more than 120 middleweight and light-heavyweight hopefuls who attended Monday's open tryout session for "The Ultimate Fighter 17."
The prospective cast members gathered at the Fertitta family-owned Palace Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The tryouts started out with a bang – literally – as light-heavyweight hopefuls Diman Morris and Dan Charles went crashing through a folding table during their two-minute grappling session.
The pair was just the second set of fighters to step before UFC matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby for evaluation. Fortunately, neither fighter was injured, and cooler heads prevailed throughout the remainder of the day.
Still, the intensity of those two participants reflected the emotions felt by many of the would-be ultimate fighters.
"I'm just focused on smashing whoever is in front of me and looking pretty doing it," middleweight Collin Hart told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com). "It's like a dream. There could be a day where I look back on my life and this day is a big part of it. I feel confident, and I think I'm going to kill it."
"The Ultimate Fighter 15" finalist Al Iaquinta was on hand to assist his training partner, Eddie "Truck" Gordon, through the experience. Iaquinta, who went through the open tryout process for "TUF 12" before eventually making it on to "TUF 15," said the key to advancing is simply keeping faith in your abilities.
"Everybody here is just hungry to get in the house," Iaquinta said. "You just have to have faith in your skills and faith that they're going to like something in your personality. Otherwise, why do you even bother coming?
"I think everybody in here has a shot. You just have to find a way to stand out."
Recently, some MMA fans and pundits have begun to question the usefulness of the long-running series. But Gordon said that for prospective UFC fighters like him, "The Ultimate Fighter" remains as valuable as ever.
"This show means everything," Gordon said. "It helps grow your fanbase. It helps you experience the lifestyle of the pro fighter with the best of the best where you get great training in great facilities, and you don't have to focus on any of the outside stuff. It's just competing and fighting. This is as real as it gets."
UFC on FOX 5 headliner and "The Ultimate Fighter 5" winner Nate Diaz also attended the session and accompanied a few prospects to their tryouts. He was also a popular figure among those hoping to follow in his footsteps – posing for pictures with several of the hopefuls before they hit the mats.
"The Ultimate Fighter 9" cast member DaMarques Johnson was on hand with two of the more colorfully nicknamed candidates of the day with Jake "The Honey Bear" Heun and Nick "The Slim Shady of MMA" Rossborough. But the "Character of the Day" award went unquestionably to Andy Murad, who came dressed as The Tooth Fairy, complete with a white tutu.
Strikeforce veteran "King" Kevin Casey, Strikeforce and Bellator vet Zak Cummings, Bellator and ShoXC veteran Anthony Lapsley, Bellator and EliteXC vet Robert "Bubba" McDaniel and four-time Bellator veteran Dan Spohn were among the day's other notable participants.
Final casting is expected to be completed this week, and filming is currently scheduled to begin in October. Middleweights most recently were featured on "TUF 11" (and on "TUF: Brazil" earlier this year), and light heavyweights haven't appeared since "TUF 8."
Spike TV began airing the ground-breaking "TUF" series in early 2005, but as part of the UFC's mega-deal with FOX, the series moved to FX this year. The show has launched the careers of nearly 200 fighters while producing champions such as Matt Serra, Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans.
"The Ultimate Fighter 17" is expected to debut in January on FX.
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