The Ultimate Fighter: Cast Announced for Australia vs UK

At last, the cast for The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes has been announced. This season will feature a United Kingdom vs. Australia aspect of the reality show, which will make for great competition.

In a press release sent to Bleacher Report by the UFC, the cast was revealed to be eight-on-eight with no fights to make it into the house. Also, the weight classes featured will be lightweight and welterweight.

Here is a full rundown of the cast.

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Guided by Australian coach George Sotiropoulos, Team Australia comprises of:

Lightweights:

Grant Blackler, 23, Sunshine Coast

Patrick Iodice, 19, GoldCoast

Richie Vaculik, 29, Sydney

Ben Wall, 23, Brisbane

Welterweights:

Ben Alloway, 31, GoldCoast

Xavier Lucas, 31, Perth

Manuel Rodriguez, 27, Sydney

Robert Whitaker, 21, Sydney

English coach Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson takes charge of Team UK:

Lightweights:

Colin Fletcher, 29, Sunderland

Norman Parke, 25, Bushmills, Nth Ireland

Michael Pastou, 30, Essex

Mike Wilkinson, 24, Leigh

Welterweights:

Luke Newman, 22, London

Bola Omoyele, 30, London

Valentino Petrescu, 30, Essex

Brad Scott, 23, Melksham

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To the average fan, many of these names are unrecognizable. To hardcore fans like myself, most of these names are familiar and I am stoked to see this season.

Something interesting about the Australian lightweights is that two of their fighters are not usually lightweights. Richie Vaculik is bantamweight, which is fought 20 pounds under the 155-pound lightweight limit.

Also, Grant Blackler is usually a featherweight, showing that the Aussies may be undersized. But, with lack of size will come speed, so it may even out.

The coaches of the season will be Ross Pearson of the UK and George Sotiropolous of Australia. The two will square off at the end of the season, which will be the cherry on top of a great rivalry from the show.