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Inside ‘The Ultimate Fighter 27’ tryouts, where more than 100 unbeatens went for their dream
Filed under: Featured, News, UFC, Videos
LAS VEGAS – More than 100 undefeated professional fighters gathered in Las Vegas for the latest open casting call for “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Male fighters in the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions were invited to attend Tuesday’s session at Palace Station Hotel & Casino, with each hoping to land a spot on “The Ultimate Fighter 27: Battle of the Undefeated” and, ultimately, a UFC contract.
UFC officials will decide after the conclusion of the tryouts which weight classes will be featured on the show.
Like previous casting calls, fighters were required to be between the ages of 21 and 34 and have competed in a minimum of three professional bouts. However, this season provided an added caveat, with fighters required to hold an undefeated record, as well.
Registered applicants included 41 featherweights, 34 lightweights and 29 welterweights. Each candidate was paired up with an opponent for a 90-second grappling session in front of UFC matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard before initial cuts were made.
Subsequent evaluation rounds include striking with a padholder and interviews with the show’s production staff.
MMAjunkie had access to only the day’s first session, which featured the featherweight hopefuls. Included in that crew were two-time WSOF veteran Bryce Mitchell (9-0) and Dana White’s Contender Series 4 winner Kyler Phillips (5-0), as well as a few prospects with UFC ties, including Montana De La Rosa’s husband Mark De La Rosa (9-0), Ashkan Mokhtarian’s brother Suman Mokhtarian (8-0) and Ariel Beck’s boyfriend Shea O’Neill (3-0).
Filming for “The Ultimate Fighter 27” is set to begin in January. The show debuts on FS1 in early 2018, though an exact start date has yet to be revealed.
For a behind-the-scenes look at TUF 27 tryouts, check out the video above.
For more on the upcoming UFC schedule, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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