No Canadians Make The Ultimate Fighter 15 Cast
Despite many Canadians heading down to tryout for The Ultimate Fighter 15 cast, none made the final cut.
Today, the UFC and FX have announced the 32 Lightweight MMA fighters who are contestants on “The Ultimate Fighter 15.”
The show will be called TUF: Live and will debut on March 9 on Sportsnet and FX with a two and a half our episode that will feature all the elimination fights live.
The coaches are the previously announced Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz.
Canadian fight fans will recognize Daron Cruickshank on the list. He has recently torn through Canadian Lightweight fighters Jesse Gross, Mike Ricci, and Brad Cardinal. Fans of TUF 13 will also remember Myles Jury returning to The Ultimate Fighter.
Here are the 32 Lightweights:
Akbarh Arreola (Chula Vista, Calif.)
Al Iaquinta (Wantagh, N.Y.)
Ali Maclean (Belfast, North Ireland)
Andy Ogle (Tynemouth, England)
Austin Lyons (Cordova, Tenn.)
Brendan Weafer (New York, N.Y.)
Chris Tickle (Bloomington, Ill.)
Cody Pfister (Amarillo, Texas)
Cristiano Marcello (Curitiba, Brazil)
Chase Hackett (Littleton, Colo.)
Chris Saunders (Long Beach, Calif.)
Dakota Cochrane (Omaha, Neb.)
Daron Cruickshank (Wayne, Mich.)
Drew Dober (Omaha, Neb.)
Erin Beach (San Diego, Calif.)
James Krause (Blue Springs, Mich.)
James Vick (Fort Worth, Texas)
Jared Carlsten (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Jeff Smith (Mechanicsburg, Penn.)
Jeremy Larsen (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Joe Proctor (Pembroke, Mass.)
John Cofer (Hull, Ga.)
Johnavan Vistante (Pearl City, Hawaii)
Jon Tuck (Hagtna, Guam)
Jordan Rinaldi (Matthews, N.C.)
Justin Lawrence (Villa Ridge, Mo.)
Mark Glover (Liverpool, England)
Michael Chiesa (Spokane Valley, Wash.)
Myles Jury (San Diego, Calif.)
Mike Rio (Miami, Fla.)
Sam Sicilia (Spokane Valley, Wash.)
Vinc Pichel (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
I’d put Dakota Cochrane and Darren Cruickshank as the early favorites
Another Ringside champion in the UFC
James Krause is a tough dude as well. Still super surprised that Kajan Johnson didn’t make it. Really skilled fighter, with tons of swagger..lol. Seems like he’d be tailor made for TUF.
Well-loved!
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Cruickshank is an honorary Canadian.
Would have loved to see some Canadians on the show but still should be a good season.
Daron vs myles finals……………….calling it now!!!!
Both are from detroit area!!!!
Cristiano Marcello and Akbarh Arreola are two experienced dudes
James Krause FTW!!
Huge congrats to Daron Cruickshank and his Canadian booking agent aka “The Sarnia Superstar”.
Go Cruickshank!
I’d agree with Bobby K – Cristiano Marcello is my pick to win this.
Anybody here have any thoughts about Dakota cochrane and his other job? Just wondering how a) the public will accept it b) the mma community views it.
A) I think the public has already accepted homosexuality as part of the “norm”.
B) I doubt the mma community cares what a guy does when he’s not training or fighting, this guy is a solid fighter, period. I for one don’t care, I judge his fight record and performance in the ring not his personal life.
No I agree wholeheartedly, just wanting to know. Kind of untested waters.
I don’t care either, however, the UFC sure cared when their card girl Chandella had soft core porn in her past. She has not been seen since.
^ The UFC, or DW in particular, also canned a top athelet for a bad twitter post… I think what they approve of and do not approve of is unpredicatable.
Obviously they (the UFC) knew about Dakota before casting him.
Is that the same Chiesa who fought Darcy James at BFL 7?
Yeah Troy, same guy.
I don’t think anyone with half an adjusted brain in 2012 should care less if a dude is gay.
A dude in porn could be a bit of an issue tho.
I hope the romophobes don’t come out of the woodwork.
And I hope Cochrane wins. That would be killer.
I agree, although the fact that none of the usual suspects are commenting. I guess only time will tell, and I hope he does well. Facebook comments are 50/50. Some don’t care, some are being pretty vile.
You’re always going to see that kind of garbage from people who can hide behind the anonymity of an internet screen name… it’s really too bad, the perception has come so far but there will always be a handful of narrow minded people who just can’t see past a persons sexuality.
Jordan Rinaldi will also go far my picks to go far Daron Cruickshank, James Krause, Cristiano Marcello, Michael Chiesa, and Dakota Cochrane Finals I will say Rinaldi vs Marcello
The funny thing is the negative comments on Facebook have names attached. The good thing is quite a few are positive. I just love this sport, always have, a competitor is a competitor. I enjoy watching women fight as well. I just want it to succeed on every platform. I don’t give a crap if it’s mfc, Amma, UFC, bellator… I enjoy them all.
You guys see the letter that the ABC has sent out about Michigan’s athletic commission? Read the news on the below link,
http://mobile.bloodyelbow.com/2012/3/1/2835428/abc-michigan-mma-ban-license-fights-ufc
Wonder how this will affect the Michigan fighters on the list?
lol– its a usa show– of course no canucks were welcome. Its not a skill thing -its marketing!!
I have no problem with that– but please do not read that as canucks are not good enuff.
Sort of Like american idol -wow- no canucks, russins, arabs,brits, chinese, India, cook islanders or polish were there either! Please do not get sucked into this arguement. Oddly enuff- canucks seem to be well represented on the canadian championships, olympic team– wonders why?
ccanadax- …you do realize that there have been Canadians on the show in the past don’t you ? (As well as many other nationalities)
yes, i’m aware of that.
However reality shows like this pick contestants that have potential draw. It helpstheir career so its a win-win.
Again it is what is- a reality show aimed at a usa market. Drama, hype
They like contestants with a story line. Good guy/bad guy, guy who needs $ to save family farm, get a heart transplant for grandma – what ever.
Venues like this are important to building the sport – but from what i read above, the implication seemed that Canucks were not good enuff to make the list.
I don’t see a single post that implies the Canadians that tried out “weren’t good enough” to be on the show.
We all know fighting ability is pretty much the last thing on the check list when it comes to the Show’s producers picking contestants. Great fighters get cut every season in favor of guys with pedestrian records and drinking/anger mgt. problems…lol
I think everyone on this site hopes for a Canadian boy to make the show, just to have a hometown guy to cheer for.
Anybody else think the reason no Canadians made it is because of a cdn tuf?