The Ultimate Fighter is back for its 33rd season.
The show, which continues on its home on ESPN+, aims to give top prospects a chance to impress the UFC brass in an attempt to earn a contract with the company. The show’s premiere takes place on May 27 and streams live on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
- Diego Bianchini (9-1, Fighting Nerds, Brazil)
- Andreeas Binder (10-2, SBG Ireland, Romania/Ireland)
- Jeff Creighton (11-2-1, The Arena MMA, United States)
- Matt Dixon (11-1, WCF Tulsa, United States)
- Daniil Donchenko (11-2, Unknown, Ukraine)
- Richard Martins (9-1, Black Sheep MMA, Brazil)
- Alex Sanchez (15-3, Entram Gym, Mexico)
- Rodrigo Sezinando (8-1, Nova Uniao, Brazil)
The two favorites out of the welterweights have to be Richard Martins and Diego Bianchini, both of whom are from Brazil.
Martins is a mainstay of LFA, where he’s established himself as a dominant finisher with a well-rounded skillset. His only career loss came to Manoel Sousa, a top prospect out of Brazil, which came in 2019. He has not lost since, with most fights coming by way of knockout.
As for Bianchini, he reps the Fighting Nerds gym, which has produced savage after savage in recent times. He is primarily a grappler who is not adverse to getting into firefights on the feet if need be.
In all honesty, I am not sure how Jeff Creighton is not in the UFC already given his track record. It might be because of a decision-heavy, wrestling-based attack that is not always the prettiest, but it is effective. Creighton owns victories over ONE vet James Nakashima, Bellator prospect Joey Davis and respected vet Joaquin Lopez, among others. He has the type of style that tends to thrive in the Ultimate Fighter format.
The guy who appears to be the biggest longshot of the bunch is Romanian-Irish fighter Andreeas Binder. A judoka by background, the SBG product is known for his throws, trips and physical strength. That strength gives him knockout power, which we have seen. That said, his couple of losses have come against mid-to-low level talent, though he has looked very much improved as of recent. Even with those improvements, he looks to be a longshot, which is a testament to how deep this welterweight roster is.
Matt Dixon is a Contender Series vet who spent about three years away from the cage after that loss on the show. Since then, he’s won two MMA bouts by sub-two-minute knockout, as well as taken a pro kickboxing bout. His inactivity since 2019 could be a problem, or he’s returned better equipped to take a second stab at the UFC.
Daniil Donchenko is the Naiza FC Champion and is just 23 years old, meaning he’s not even in his prime yet and he’s already seen great success. He’s a heavy wrestler with ground-and-pound, so he has a skill set that can be successful in this tournament (much like Creighton).
Alex Sanchez is a veteran of the sport known for having a high volume of activity. He’s stepped in the cage with a number of notable opponents including Anthony Avila, LaRue Burley and others. His experience and finishing prowess make him a formidable opponent to any person he fights on this season.
Finally, Rodrigo Sezinando is a Nova Uniao product that has moved his game to Canada, where he’s been dominant since arriving. He’s very well-rounded and looks like another dark horse that could be a threat to win the season. His last three wins really have shown that.