The Ultimate Fighter has announced its new season roster featuring ten male bantamweight and ten female strawweight competitors. The bantamweight division includes fighters from multiple countries: Peru's Rodrigo Vera (21-1-1), Finland's Abdul Hussein (15-2), Kazakhstan/Russia's Artem Belakh (11-2), USA's Xavier Franklin (6-1) and Christian Strong (9-1), Cuba's Sean Mora (7-1), Great Britain's Marlon Jones (6-0), Dominican Republic's Mikaias Ureña (13-3), Kyrgyzstan's Ilimbek Akylbek uulu (10-3), and Azerbaijan's Mekhemmedeli Osmanly (12-1). The female strawweight roster features Natalia Alves (8-0), Melissa Amaya (8-0), Valeska Machado (15-4), GiGi Canutu (7-1), Anna Melisano (6-1), Mackenzie Stiller (6-1), Anita Karim (6-2), Delphine Benouaiche (7-2), Hailay Wushamo (10-2), and Camila Reynoso (9-1). The diverse international roster represents multiple weight classes and competitive backgrounds.
The Ultimate Fighter has revealed its latest season roster, featuring ten male bantamweights and ten female strawweights from across the globe, as the long-running reality competition series prepares for another campaign.
Among the bantamweight cast, the lone fighter confirmed in the AgentMMA database is Xavier Franklin, who competes out of George's MMA and Boxing Gym in the United States. Known as "Mr. Benjamin," the 29-year-old southpaw carries a record of 5-1 and stands five-foot-six with a 66-inch reach. Franklin lands 3.07 significant strikes per minute, though his striking accuracy sits at 33 percent, and he has not yet recorded takedowns or submission attempts in tracked bouts.
The rest of the bantamweight field represents a wide international spread, including Rodrigo Vera of Peru, Finland's Abdul Hussein, Artem Belakh representing Kazakhstan and Russia, Cuba's Sean Mora, Great Britain's Marlon Jones, Mikaias Ureña of the Dominican Republic, Ilimbek Akylbek uulu from Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan's Mekhemmedeli Osmanly. Christian Strong of the United States rounds out the ten-man division.
The female strawweight roster is equally global, featuring Natalia Alves, Melissa Amaya, Valeska Machado, GiGi Canutu, Anna Melisano, Mackenzie Stiller, Anita Karim, Delphine Benouaiche, Hailay Wushamo, and Camila Reynoso.
Why it matters
- The bantamweight and strawweight divisions both remain active and competitive inside the UFC, giving TUF graduates a clear path to the main roster.
- The international makeup of both casts suggests the series continues to expand its global scouting reach.
- Several fighters on both sides enter with undefeated or near-undefeated records, raising the competitive ceiling of the season.
