“The Ultimate Fighter 27,” also known as “The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated,” is set to premiere Wednesday, April 18 on FOX Sports 1 with heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier serving as head coaches of the latest season of the UFC’s long-running reality series. TUF 27’s cast is made up of undefeated fighters in the lightweight and featherweight divisions.
The season will come to an end on July 6, 2018, at the Pearl Theatre of the Palms Casino Resort in Paradise, Nevada, when the champion in each weight class is crowned.
Miocic and Cormier will then face off in a heavyweight title fight at UFC 226 on July 7, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of the promotion’s International Fight Week.
Stipe Miocic’s coaching staff will be made up of fellow UFC fighters Chris Camozzi and James Krause, MMA and kickboxing veteran Dustin Jacoby, and Strong Style MMA head coach Marcus Marinelli, who wrapped Miocic’s championship belt around his waist instead of UFC president Dana White after Miocic’s latest title defense over Francis Ngannou after the champion felt slighted due to a lack of promotion.
Miocic’s teammate at Strong Style MMA in Ohio, John Gunther, is the oldest member of the cast.
When the show premieres, the two coaches will put all 16 cast members through a vigorous workout before making their team picks. There will be a coin toss to determine who gets to pick the first fighter and who gets to pick the first fight.
The full cast for “The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated” can be seen below:
Lightweight
- Thailand Clark (7-0), 28, Fort Worth, Texas
- Joe Giannetti (6-0), 22, Norwell, Mass.
- John Gunther (6-0), 32, Cleveland, Ohio
- José Martinez Jr. (4-0), 27, Lorain, Ohio
- Luis Peña (4-0), 24, Hillsboro, Miss. by way of Naples, Italy
- Richie Smullen (3-0-1), 26, Arklow, Ireland
- Mike Trizano (6-0), 25, Ramsey, N.J.
- Allan Zuniga (13-0), 25, San Miguel, Costa Rica
Featherweight
- Jay Cucciniello (8-0), 31, Malaga, Spain by way of Dublin, Ireland
- Tyler Diamond (9-0), 26, Oroville, Calif.
- Brad Katona (6-0), 25, Dublin, Ireland by way of Winnipeg, Canada
- Bryce Mitchell (9-0), 23, Cabot, Ark.
- Suman Mokhtarian (8-0), 25, Sydney, Australia
- Dulani Perry (4-0), 31, Houston, Texas
- Kyler Phillips (5-0), 22, Surprise, Ariz.
- Ricky Steele (5-0), 29, Boise, Ida.