The fifth season of the Ultimate Fighter (TUF) began filming this week and with it a few identities are starting to emerge.
And, it looks to be a talent-rich cast ... at least for now.
Nathan Diaz (5-2), Dan Lauzon (3-1) and Matt Wiman (6-3) are three of the 16 lightweight prospects we can expect to see on SpikeTV this spring battle it out for a UFC contract, according to MMAWeekly.com.
Granted, there are 13 other fighters yet to be announced. But if these guys are any indication, we can expect some solid competition on the upcoming season.
Diaz — the younger brother of 10-time UFC fight veteran Nick Diaz (14-6) — trains with an excellent camp at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. He has three fights with the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) promotion to his credit, and most recently lost to Hermes Franca (17-5) via armbar at WEC 24.
Lauzon — the younger brother of one-time UFC fight veteran Joe Lauzon (14-3) — is the youngest fighter to ever fight in the UFC. The 18-year-old Massachusetts native looked game early in his bout with Spencer Fisher (19-2) at UFC 64, but eventually succumbed to strikes late in the first round.
Keep in mind, Joe was brought in as a last minute replacement for Naoyuki Kotani and had only two weeks to prepare. And, going up against a guy like Fisher, he wasn't given the best chance to win.
Wiman — who may or may not have an older brother — is a jiu-jitsu blue belt from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He, too, lost to Fisher in highlight reel fashion at UFC 60 courtesy of a flying knee in round two.
As we mentioned in our recent post about Clay Guida, fighters with no more than one career UFC fight were eligible for Ultimate Fighter 5. And, the contestants range in experience levels.
I can't wait for the first show to air on April 5. This is shaping up to be an exciting season with a lot of young and promising fighters.
Something that we certainly missed out on during "The Comeback."
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