Meet the ‘TUF 16’ Cast

A launching pad for some of MMA’s most recognizable and successful fighters, “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series returns for its 16th season -- the second with the FX network -- on Friday at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Heavyweights Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson will serve as coaches.

The season will feature 32 prospective welterweights, aged 22 to 34, as they compete first for a spot in “The Ultimate Fighter” house in Las Vegas and later for a six-figure contract with the UFC. Season 16 marks a returns to the show’s roots, as producers abandon a live version in favor of the pre-recorded format that was used during the first 14 installments of the series.

The two finalists who navigate their way through the single-elimination tournament will meet at “The Ultimate Fighter 16” Finale Finale on Dec. 15, as will Carwin and Nelson. The complete cast for Season 16 of “The Ultimate Fighter” follows:

Bristol Marunde (12-7)

A Throwdown Training Center representative, Marunde has posted four wins in his last five outings. The 30-year-old Alaska native last fought in March, when he submitted to a third-round arm-triangle choke from former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Marunde has also plied his trade inside the M-1 Global and International Fight League promotions.

Sam Alvey