The complete roster for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter has been announced, featuring ten bantamweight men and ten strawweight women. The men's division includes fighters from various countries such as Rodrigo Vera from Peru, Abdul Hussein from Finland, Artem Belakh representing Kazakhstan and Russia, and others with records ranging from undefeated to experienced veterans. The women's strawweight division features fighters including Natalia Alves, Melissa Amaya, and Valesca Machado among others. The season will showcase international talent with representatives from over fifteen countries competing for UFC contracts. Notable entries include Artem Belakh, who is the LFA champion, and several undefeated prospects.
The Ultimate Fighter is back with a full roster reveal, as the upcoming season will feature ten men competing at bantamweight and ten women at strawweight, all vying for UFC contracts.
The men's bantamweight field draws from a wide international pool, with fighters representing countries including Peru, Finland, Kazakhstan, and Russia among others. Artem Belakh arrives as one of the division's most credentialed entrants, holding the LFA championship heading into the house. The cast spans the experience spectrum, from seasoned veterans to undefeated prospects still building their records. Xavier Franklin, nicknamed "Mr. Benjamin," represents the United States with a 5-1 record at 29 years old. The southpaw trains out of George's MMA and Boxing Gym and lands 3.07 significant strikes per minute, though his striking accuracy sits at 33 percent.
On the women's side, the strawweight roster features competitors from across the globe, with Natalia Alves and Melissa Amaya among those named alongside Brazilian veteran Valesca Machado. Machado, who fights under the nickname "Tina Black," carries an 8-3 record into the competition at 30 years old. She stands five-foot-four with a 63-inch reach and fights out of the War Machine camp in an orthodox stance, averaging 2.4 significant strikes per minute.
Why it matters
- The LFA championship pedigree of Artem Belakh makes him an immediate standout in the bantamweight field
- More than fifteen countries are represented across both divisions, making this one of the more internationally diverse TUF seasons in recent memory
- Valesca Machado's eight wins give the women's bracket a proven veteran presence capable of testing younger, undefeated prospects
- UFC contracts on the line mean every fight carries direct career consequences for competitors on both sides of the bracket
