The Ultimate Fighter season 29 returns on Tuesday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ET, exclusively on ESPN+. TUF’s success was the push to UFC’s explosion of popularity in the year 2005. The UFC CEO Dana White still considers season 1’s finale as the match that saved UFC from drowning in debt. It is the iconic reality series that has introduced millions of new and die-hard fans to future UFC champions and top contenders.
Keeping the trend of shining a spotlight on fighters like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and Ken Shamrock this season, the battle is between current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski’s Team vs. No. two ranked featherweight contender Brian Ortega’s Team.
The show debuts on June 1 following The Ultimate Fighter Launch Party to pave the way for Tuesday and is to run for 12 weeks with a new episode dropping on ESPN+ every Tuesday. The return of the Ultimate Fighter will feature eight warriors living under one roof battling to win a UFC contract each in the middleweight and bantamweight divisions.
Coaches Of The Ultimate Fighter season 29
Alexander Volkanovski
The 32-year Australian fighter has a record of
22-1 (9-0 in the UFC)
After winning over Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo, Volkanovski got a shot at Max Holloway’s UFC featherweight championship in December 2019 in Las Vegas and won the title via unanimous decision at UFC 245. He went on to defend his title on a significantly tighter split decision over Holloway in July 2020.
Regardless, his second title defense was scheduled against Brian Ortega, at UFC 260. But, due to the fighter’s unfortunate covid-19 diagnosis, the fight was canceled.
In an interview with Aaron Bronsteter from TSN, White has said that the promotion is eagerly looking forward to bringing the featherweight title fight to fruition. Maybe after the culmination of this Ultimate Fighter season.
Brian Ortega
The 30-year-old American fighter has a record of
15-1,1 NC (7-1,1 NC in the UFC)
Despite the stop and start nature of his career, Ortega still is the No. two ranked featherweight contender. After Ortega’s longest career layoff of 22 months due to the damage to his face during his fight with Max Holloway, Ortega finally returned to the Octagon and defeated Jung by unanimous decision on Fight Island in October 2020.
Alexander Volkanovski was supposed to defend his featherweight title against Brian Ortega.Amid the TUF’S promotion Speaking to Joe Rogan on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Volkanovski leaked out when his fight with Ortega is supposed to happen, admitting that it’s planned to take place this September.
ALSO READ- Alexander Volkanovski vs Brian Ortega For UFC’s Featherweight Title to Take Place in September.
Who are the fighters on The Ultimate Fighter Season 29
Bantamweight
Kemran Lachinov
Record: 10-3
Birthplace: Uzbekistan
Fighting out of: West Springfield, MAf
Nickname: “Killa Kem”
Age: 30
Gym: Team Link
Trainer/coaches: Marco Alvan, Jason Franklin, Daniel Fagan
Stat: Won eight of his last nine fights
He defines himself as a crazy fighter, he even went on saying “ I’m that guy that will drop my hands and ask you to punch me and ask if that’s all you got. I will go wild. I’m definitely that guy that you’ll want to watch.”
Vince Murdock
Record: 12-4, 1 NC
Birthplace: Oakland County, MI
Fighting out of: Sacramento, CA
Age: 30
Gym: Team Alpha Male
Trainer/coaches: Joey Rodriguez, Mike Malott, Danny Castillo, Chris Holdsworth, Urijah Faber
Stat: Eight wins by KO, one by submission
Upon being asked about The Ultimate Fighter experience he said “ I’ve been fighting since 2009, so the experience has been there, it’s just about showing up and doing whatever you can do and control in the fight.”
Ricky Turcios
Record: 10-2
Birthplace: Houston, TX
Fighting out of: Houston, TX
Nickname: “Pretty”
Age: 27
Gyms: Gracie Barra The Woodlands (Texas) and Team Alpha Male
Trainer/coaches: Alex Morono, Urijah Faber, Danny Castillo, Matt Wald, Joey Rodriguez, Chris Holdsworth
Stat: Three wins by KO, two wins by submission
Fighting style: freestyle
Josh Rettinghouse
Record: 16-5
Birthplace: Spokane, WA
Fighting out of: Spokane, WA
Nickname: “The Finisher”
Age: 31
Gym: Warrior Camp MMA
Trainer/coach: Pablo Alfonso
Stat: Finished 12 of 16 wins
Liudvik Sholinian
Record: 9-1-1
Birthplace: Alaverdi, Armenia
Fighting out of: Kiev, Ukraine
Nickname: “Palmeyros”
Age: 31
Gyms: Aurum (Kiev), KDMMA (Los Angeles)
Trainer/coaches: Alexandr Pudochkin, Karen Darabedyan
Stat: One win by KO, three by submission
Brady Hiestand
Record: 5-1
Birthplace: Spokane, WA
Fighting out of: Spokane, WA
Age: 22
Gym: Sik-Jitsu
Trainer/coach: Rick Little
Stat: Two wins by KO, two by submission
Daniel Argueta
Record: 5-0
Birthplace: Chicago, IL
Fighting out of: Albuquerque, NM
Nickname: “The Determined”
Age: 27
Gym(s): Jackson Wink Academy and Gracie Barra
Trainer/coaches: Greg Jackson, Mike Winkeljohn and Cub Swanson
Stat: Finished four of five wins (one by KO, three by submission)
Mitch Raposo
Record: 5-0
Birthplace: Fall River, MA
Fighting out of: Fall River, MA
Age: 22
Gym: Regiment Training Center
Trainer/coaches: Brian Raposo, Tommy Teixeira
Stat: Three first-round finishes (one by KO, two by submission)
Middleweight
Gilbert Urbina
Record: 6-1
Stat: Finished three of his wins
He is the third Urbina brother to be on the show. Upon being asked about that he said”I’m excited to be the third Urbina brother on the show, but since I was 18, I have had dreams of being in the UFC”.
Bryan Battle
Record: 5-1
Stat: Four finishes (one by KO, three by submission)
Miles Hunsinger
Record: 7-0
Stat: Two wins by KO, three by submission
He says he has the combined power of Conor and Khabib [Nurmagomedov] style wrestling to smother people and maul people. Miles Hunsinger is one of the brightest prospects in this season and could well be the winner of this season.
Dustin Lampros
Record: 5-0
Stat: Finish all wins (four by KO, one by submission)
Andre Petroski
Record: 5-1
Stat: Finished all wins (three wins by KO, two by submission)
Tresean Gore
Record: 3-0
Stat: One win by KO, one win by submission
This fighter has got it all. Upon being asked about what’s his best force he replied “The guys better watch that left hook and they better watch my right hand and my wrestling. I can wrestle and I can grapple. Wherever it goes, I’m ready.”
Ryder Newman
Record: 3-1
Stat: One victory by KO
Ryder spoke on his fighting style, ” I’m violent, I’m aggressive. I’m going to try to slam you on your head and when I slam you on your head, I’m going to try to pound your face in”
Aaron Phillips
Record: 5-2
Stat: Finished all wins (two by KO, three by submission
Aaron comes from a small little rural town in Alaska. While answering a question he said “I’ve never had coaches. I’ve never done anything other than watch YouTube videos and learn”.
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