Casting Set for The Ultimate Fighter

The upcoming new season of The Ultimate Fighter is scheduled to air live on FX on March 9 at 9 p.m. ET and the cast is set and ready to go.  The 15th season will be coached by bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (19-1) and former WEC champion Urijah Faber (26-5).

The shows March 9 premier will televise 32 hopefuls slugging it out in 16 match ups.  The winners of these bouts will then secure a position in the TUF household where they will be airing live for the following 13 weeks.  Earlier seasons of TUF only filmed over a 6 week period, this season, however, will be filmed and aired over a 13 week time frame.  The show will premier on March 9th and conclude, with a three-hour finale, on June 1st.  As always, the winner of the finale will also receive a six figure contract to fight in the UFC.

The other fighters joining the show, according to Sherdog.com, are:

Akbarh Arreola — Chula Vista , Calif.

Al Iaquinta — Wantagh , N.Y.

Ali Maclean — Belfast , North Ireland

Andy Ogle — Tynemouth , England

Austin Lyons — Cordova , Tenn.

Brendan Weafer — New York , N.Y.

Chris Tickle — Bloomington , Ill.

Cody Pfister — Amarillo , Texas

Cristiano Marcello — Curitiba , Brazil

Chase Hackett — Littleton , Colo.

Chris Saunders — Long Beach , Calif.

Dakota Cochrane — Omaha , Neb.

Daron Cruickshank — Wayne , Mich.

Drew Dober — Omaha , Neb.

Erin Beach — San Diego , Calif.

James Krause — Blue Springs , Mo.

James Vick — Fort Worth , Texas

Jared Carlsten — Los Angeles , Calif.

Jeff Smith — Mechanicsburg , Penn.

Jeremy Larsen — Phoenix , Ariz.

Joe Proctor — Pembroke , Mass.

John Cofer — Hull , Ga.

Johnavan Vistante — Pearl City , Hawaii

Jon Tuck, — Hagtna, Guam

Jordan Rinaldi — Matthews, N.C.

Justin Lawrence — Villa Ridge , Mo.

Mark Glover — Liverpool , England

Michael Chiesa — Spokane Valley , Wash.

Myles Jury — San Diego , Calif.

Mike Rio — Miami , Fla.

Sam Sicilia — Spokane Valley , Wash.

Vinc Pichel — Sherman Oaks, Calif.