Jul-11-2009

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: HEAVYWEIGHTS” CAST IS ANNOUNCED

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THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: HEAVYWEIGHTS” CAST IS ANNOUNCED FEATURING NOTABLE FIGHTERS KIMBO SLICE, FORMER IFL CHAMPION ROY NELSON, FORMER UFC CONTENDER WES SIMS AND FOUR FORMER NFL PLAYERS

Rampage Jackson And Rashad Evans To Coach The 16 Heavyweights Vying For A Six-Figure Contract With The UFC

Premieres Wednesday, September 16 at 10pm ET/PT on Spike TV

New York, NY, July 10, 2009 – In what will literally be the biggest season ever of “The Ultimate Fighter” on Spike TV, the 10th season of the groundbreaking series, premiering Wednesday, September 16 at 10:00pm, will showcase 16 of the best unsigned heavyweight mixed martial arts fighters in the world. Featuring former UFC light heavyweight champions “Suga” Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as coaches, season 10 marks the only installment to include only the heavyweight weight class (206+ lbs).

“The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” includes a list of notable athletes with impressive and diverse pedigrees including four former NFL players, UFC veterans, a former IFL heavyweight champ, and a highly-publicized former EliteXC fighter who gained prominence through his non-sanctioned bouts on YouTube.

The cast includes: 

Zak Jensen – standout wrestler at Augsburg College
Marcus Jones – former 1st round NFL draft pick who had a six-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Scott Junk – Division II All-American football player at Southwest Oklahoma State and fought in UFC 76.
James McSweeney – former international kickboxing and Muay Thai champion
John Madsen – defeated Brock Lesnar in a high school wrestling match
Matt Mitrione - played for New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings
Roy Nelson – former IFL Heavyweight Champion
Demico Rogers – high school football and wrestling star
Brendan Schaub – played for Buffalo Bills and Arena Football’s Utah Blaze
Darrill Schoonover – decorated Army veteran
Wes Shivers – former member of the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons
Wes Sims - fought two heated battles with former UFC champ Frank Mir at UFC 43 and UFC 46
Kimbo Slice – former EliteXC heavyweight contender and YouTube sensation
Abe Wagner – played linebacker at Michigan Tech and has a degree in mechanical engineering
Mike Wessel – UFC veteran and former strength and conditioning coach at University of Arkansas
Justin Wren – All-American high school wrestler

During the six-week taping of “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,” these 16 men endured a grueling regimen of jiu-jitsu, judo, Muay Thai, karate, boxing and wrestling.  The intense competition among the fighters continues after they leave the gym – at the Ultimate Fighter House.  These warriors must live together, knowing that any day they might be forced to fight each other in the famed UFC Octagon™. 

The two finalists will square off in a live finale Saturday, December 5 on Spike TV, when the winner will be declared “The Ultimate Fighter” and net the six-figure contract and a cash prize.  UFC President Dana White will once again serve as host of the series.

After each show, Spike.com users will get exclusive extended footage from each episode and an exclusive video leak of the upcoming episode. 

Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films and Television, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White of Zuffa, LLC, and Kevin Kay of Spike TV are the show's executive producers.   Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, sports & specials, Spike TV is co-executive producer and Christopher Martello is executive in charge of production for Spike TV.  

Spike TV is available in 98 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.