The Ultimate Fighter Season 2 Contestants

[Lei Tong 0]

Courtesy of Bug Eyed Earl at UFC:

 

Here's a list of all the TUF guys, with links to their Sherdog profiles because I'm a kind motherfucker.

 

HWs

 

Rob Macdonald

Keith Jardine

Kerry 'Meat Truck' Schall

Brad Imes

Seth 'The Silverback' Petruzelli

Mike Whitehead

Rashad Evans

Eli Joslin

"Tom" - last name unknown right now. Strange Brew 2 most likely.

 

WWs

 

Jorge Gurgel

Joe Stevenson

Melvin Guillard

Josh Burkman

Sam 'The Squeeze' Morgan

Anthony Torres

Luke Cummo

Marcus Davis

Kenny Stevens

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Kerry Shcall is an early favorite.

 

He's thrown down with the man they call Fedor.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Who will be the trainers for this season? Still Liddell and Couture (I have a feeing I misspelleeled Couture)?

 

 

Also, Meat Truck and Silverback are my two early favorites, based only on incredibly awesome nicknames.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I think Matt Hughes and Frank Mir

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Matt Hughes (Welterweight champ) and Rich Franklin (middleweight champ) are the coaches.

 

I don't know much about these guys either, but apparently Jardine, MacDonald (SAUGA!) are ones to look out for in the HW division, while Jurgel and Stevenson are ones to look out for in the WW division. I'm actually excited for Sammy Morgan, the only guy I know on the show as a fighter (I know of Burkman as the guy Jeremy Horn spit on) as a pretty good submission wrestler with some nice hands, so I'll be rooting for him. He's a solid dark horse.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Who is the guy on the far right? He's built like a tank.

 

A tank made of snow.

 

That's been in the sun for a few hours.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Stevenson has been very impressive in the matches I've seen of him, so much so that I was watching his fights and was like "Why isn't this guy in the UFC?!". The Welterweights clearly have the better ability than their HW counter-parts - the UFC will be lucky to get one fighter out of all the heavies that will mesh with their division.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Sauga?

 

W00T~!

 

M City, nigga.

[AmericanDragon 0]

Who is the guy on the far right? He's built like a tank.

 

A tank made of snow.

 

That's been in the sun for a few hours.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Looks like Kerry Schall. He fought Fedor in Rings.

 

http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfi...p?fighterID=397

[Lei Tong 0]

Stevenson has been very impressive in the matches I've seen of him, so much so that I was watching his fights and was like "Why isn't this guy in the UFC?!".  The Welterweights clearly have the better ability than their HW counter-parts - the UFC will be lucky to get one fighter out of all the heavies that will mesh with their division.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Though the WW's are obviously going to be more talanted overall than the HW's, I'd actually think the WW winner is going to have a much harder time of it once in the UFC. The UFC HW division is relatively thin, so it's not hard to imagine a breakout HW doing well for himself quickly.

 

On the other hand, the UFC has about 5 of the best WW's in the world currently in their ranks (Hughes, Trigg, St. Pierre, Parisyan, Diaz ). Unless the UFC either releases some of these guys or works around them very well, the TUF WW's will be walking onto Murderer's Row.

[Lei Tong 0]

Schall, an early favorite?

 

Forrest offers his thoughts on that statement:

 

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

But that just means more opponents for the WW winner of TUF, since he will have a contract with the UFC. They can build the WW up in the first year, and in the next year have him in those marquee matches. If he loses, then at least you can build someone off him and possibly offer exciting matches.

 

The UFC's luck in the HW division has been well documented - when they try to push Mike Kyle, he gets beaten by Justin Eilers. When they try to push Justin Eilers, he gets beat by Buentello. Buentello didn't look very good in his last outing and many are writing him off against Arlovski. Sylvia didn't last long, Ricco didn't last long, Barnett didn't last long, Mir hasn't lasted long...

[starvenger 0]

Since they'll need to push the WW winner, I wonder where that will leave their other TUF WW, Josh Koschek...

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

But that just means more opponents for the WW winner of TUF, since he will have a contract with the UFC.  They can build the WW up in the first year, and in the next year have him in those marquee matches.  If he loses, then at least you can build someone off him and possibly offer exciting matches.

 

The UFC's luck in the HW division has been well documented - when they try to push Mike Kyle, he gets beaten by Justin Eilers.  When they try to push Justin Eilers, he gets beat by Buentello.  Buentello didn't look very good in his last outing and many are writing him off against Arlovski.  Sylvia didn't last long, Ricco didn't last long, Barnett didn't last long, Mir hasn't lasted long...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's more or less one of those "curse" things really, looking at it objectively, the WW will have a harder time.

 

The HW's on here, the favourites anyway, might have a good shot with the guys in the UFC since a few are excellent wrestlers, and really those are rare in the UFC HW division. Except for Arlovski, and Sylvia because of his size, most of the guys in the UFC HW division are pretty easy to take down. Of course these are some big guys, so they might be able to make up for that size advantage.

 

Following bios stolen from CBR, stolen from MMARingReport's Arnold Lim. I found them helpful:

 

Rob Macdonald

 

Rob fulfilled one his dreams in life by becoming a police officer and serving for the past 1 ½ years in his native Mississauga, Ontario. The only Canadian citizen on The Ultimate Fighter Season II, Rob was a nationally ranked wrestler at St. Charles College (high school) in Ontario and also excelled on the football and track teams. He graduated Western Ontario University with degrees in English and Psychology. The 26 year-old has been participating in MMA for three years and trains with Team Tomkins. His current professional MMA record is 3-0. The Toronto Raptors fan is inspired by his father and former railway engineer, Ranald, who passed away. His cousin, Miranda, stars on the cable series, “Degrassi Junior High: The New Class.”

 

 

 

Keith Jardine

 

Keith previously worked as a real life bounty-hunter for a bail bondsman in Canoga Park, California. The 29 year-old has a 9-1-1 professional MMA record and lives and trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico with among others, Season I middleweight champion, Diego Sanchez. Keith also was a professional boxer with a 3-0-1 record, and professional kickboxer with a 1-0 record. He was a two-sport star in high school, city champion in wrestling in the heavyweight class and All-City Football as linebacker. He attended Pierce College in Los Angeles before playing defensive line at New Mexico Highlands University. The foreign films buff is a big fan of the Coen Brothers.

 

 

 

Kerry Schall

 

The 33 year-old is the elder statesman for Season II of The Ultimate Fighter. The Kankakee, Illinois native was a football and wrestling star at Herscher High School outside of Chicago. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in electrical engineering, he spent the next seven years out of the sports arena as a service engineer at a plastics company. One random night he was talked into competing in an MMA fight in Cincinnati and Kerry knocked out his opponent in 14 seconds. Kerry became hooked and began training to hone his natural MMA talents. Six years later this father of two has a 19-6 professional MMA record and trains with The Ultimate Fighter coach Rich Franklin and Season I participant, Josh Rafferty.

 

 

 

Brad Imes

 

The 6’7 Columbia, Mo. native has only been participating in MMA for the last nine months and already has a 3-0 professional record. Brad played offensive tackle for the University of Missouri and was a starter his senior year. He went on to play professionally for the Arena Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers. The former Strength Coach for the University of Missouri and Texas Christian University football teams, Brad is a loan officer in Sacramento. In his spare time he is an outdoorsman and enjoys hunting.

 

 

 

Seth Petruzelli

 

The Cape Coral, Florida native was a three-sport star in high school -- All-State centerfielder on the baseball team, All-State wrestler at 215lbs., and threw the shot put and discus on the track team. Seth is a graduate of The University of Central Florida with a degree in Psychology. He began studying karate at six years old and currently trains MMA at one of the legendary Gracie Jiu Jitsu schools in Orlando. His professional MMA record is 8-2, and when not training he works in his family’s real estate business.

 

 

 

Mike

 

The 3-time All-American wrestler grew up in Central Point, Oregon and gained collegiate fame on the mat while attending North Idaho Junior College, Southern Oregon University, and the University of Missouri. He graduated with a degree in Education. At Crater High School, Mike was a state champion wrestler in the 189lb division in 1999 and played defensive lineman in football. He has since moved to Iowa to train with the legendary MMA Team Miletich Fighting with The Ultimate Fighter coach Matt Hughes and Season I participant, Sam Hoger.

 

Tom

 

The 30 year-old from Cooperstown, New York was a four-time All-State wrestler in high school was third in the country in the 190lbs. division. Tom, an academic who enjoys classical music and reading Descartes, graduated Summa at SUNY Brockport in Human Psychology. He currently lives in Philadelphia where he works for Rail America. He is married and has four kids ranging from 1 ½ to 7 years old. He trains with Gracie protégé Julie Fernandez and has a professional MMA record of 4-0.

 

 

 

Rashad Evans

 

The two-time All-State wrestler at Wheatfield High School in Niagara Falls, New York was also a standout football player at running back and safety. He attended Michigan State and wrestled in the 174lb division. Rashad graduated with a degree in Psychology and currently works at a hospital in Lansing, Michigan, where he lives and trains.

 

 

 

Eli

 

The 26 year-old Yosemite, Ca native and Oakland Raiders’ fan played linebacker at Mariposa High School. He currently has a 1-0 professional MMA record and breeds American Bulldogs.

 

WELTERWEIGHTS

 

Jorge Gurgel

 

Born and raised in Fortaleza, Brazil, Jorge moved to the U.S. eight years ago when he was 20 to pursue his career in mixed martial arts. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert is also quite the academic as he received a prestigious scholarship, awarded to only 50 of 14,000 applicants, to study in his native Brazil. After two years of study, he moved to the United States to attend Wright St. University to study international business. Currently living in suburban Cincinnati, Jorge runs seven gyms in the Midwest including ones in Columbus, Dayton, and his main gym in Middletown, OH. Jorge, who is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, trains with The Ultimate Fighter coach Rich Franklin and The Ultimate Fighter Season I participant, Josh Rafferty.

 

 

 

Joe Stevenson

 

The Victorville, CA native and current resident was an all-state wrestler at Silverado, High School just outside of Los Angeles. The 23 year-old has been competing in mixed martial arts since he was 16 and has a current professional record of 24-6. He has held 5 MMA titles in various weight-classes ranging from 155 to 205. Currently a forklift operator, Joe has two kids, Joey (4 years old) and Tyler (2 years old), and lives with his girlfriend Maria who is a lawyer and female boxer.

 

 

 

Anthoney

 

The pride of Hawaii, Anthony is currently a federal corrections officer at a prison in Oahu. The 26 year-old is a member of the prison SWAT Team and is a self defense instructor for the other guards. Anthony was a state wrestling champion in the 198lbs weight class at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu and was among the state’s premier power-lifters. He has been participating in mixed martial arts for the past six years and has a current professional record of 3-0. Anthony attended Chaminade University and is a big fan of the hit series CSI (currently airing on CBS and Spike TV).

 

 

 

Melvin

 

The son of a Baptist Minister, Melvin grew up in suburban New Orleans and was a wrestling state champion in the 152lb class at Bonnabel High School in 2002. Voted Best athlete in his high school, Melvin was also a star football player, terrorizing opposing offenses as an outside linebacker. A graduate of Colby College in Kansas with a degree in Criminal Law, he currently works in the family contracting business. Melvin has a 36-2-3 professional MMA record and is inspired by his fiancé, Brittney.

 

 

 

Josh Burkman

 

Josh was a triple-threat athlete at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City making all-state in football (running back), baseball (third baseman), and wrestling (171 lb division). He went to play running back for Dixie State College. To pursue his dream of becoming a UFC champion, Josh moved to Oregon to train with Randy Couture and Team Qwest. He currently has a 14-2 record and dreams to one day open up his own MMA gym.

 

 

 

MARCUS

 

The former pro boxer is no stranger to television, as he fought on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights while competing for 10 years and compiling a 10-1 record. The 32 year-old native of Bangor, Maine, proudly wears a kilt as a tribute to his Irish heritage. Marcus is a manager of multiple bars and taverns in Maine and is a twice-divorced father to three children. The self-described computer geek is a Star Wars aficionado and lists his favorite movie is the cult classic, “Boondock Saints.”

 

 

 

SAMMY

 

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native wrestled at Roosevelt High School and attended Denwoody Technical School. The 23 year-old trains in Bloomington for the past 7 years and has current MMA record of 16-5. He currently works as a landscaper and bouncer at a local Minneapolis bar. His favorite movies are “Gladiator” and “The Legend of Josey Wales.”

 

 

 

KENNY

 

A butcher by trade, the 23 year-old lives in Slidell, Louisiana with his wife and baby son, Kaden. Kenny was a two-sport star at Ware High School in suburban New Orleans in football (fullback, middle linebacker) and baseball (first baseman). He attended the University of Mississippi for one year and competed in the Kenpo Karate Nationals in 1999. Kenny is also friends with Houston Astros’ pitcher, Roy Oswalt.

 

 

 

LUKE

 

The 25 year-old Taoist is from New Hyde Park, Long Island and is a graduate of Chaminade High School. He graduated Nassau Community College with a degree in Biology. He currently has a 4-1 professional MMA record and trains with UFC contender Matt Serra. The Bruce Lee fan lists “Sin City” among his favorite movies.

 

 

 

ULTIMATE FIGHTER COACHES

 

 

 

RICH FRANKLIN

 

The 30 year-old UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION has a 20-1 professional record including a stunning victory over UFC legend Ken Shamrock in April on Spike TV. Franklin is a former school teacher and is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

 

 

MATT HUGHES

 

The 31 year-old UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION has a 38-4 professional record. A native of Hillsboro Illinois, Hughes trains with the legendary Militech Fighting team in Quad Cities, Illinois. He was a two-time high school state wrestling champion and attended Easter Illinois University where he majored in Physical Education. Matt and his twin brother, Mark, own 1,000 acres of farmland in Iowa. His most recent fight was a dramatic victory over rival Frank Trigg in Las Vegas in March.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Doesn't Schall train Franklin? That would be pretty trippy, it's like the Team Quest situation in the first season, but if Leben was training Couture lol.

 

I gotta like Jardine right now, an artsy nerd who knows how to beat the crap out of people, gotta love it.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

During Franklin's title win over Evan Tanner, Joe Rogan said that UFC were going to try and put a Franklin v Hughes fight together to play off of their coaching roles. Does anybody know if that is still going to happen?

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

If Tanner won, that fight would have happened, but since Franklin and Hughes are good friends, it isn't going to. Not a big deal really, since they're in two different weight classes, but Matt was bored of dominating at 170 I'd imagine and tried to step up to fight Evan and win two belts, something never done before and something that he said he'd love to be the first to do. As a result, he won't be doing it now but might have the opportunity in the future.

 

After this show, the big Hughes fight is with Karo Parisyan, who while deserves the fight through the fact that he's taken out a lot of contenders, should get slaughtered. I don't know who they'll match Franklin up with.