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Having served as a springboard for some MMA’s best-known and most successful performers, “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series returns for its 18th season -- the first on Fox Sports 1 -- on Sept. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight titleholder Ronda Rousey will coach opposite archrival Miesha Tate in advance of their UFC 168 rematch on Dec. 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Launched in 2005 on Spike TV, “The Ultimate Fighter” has spawned many of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most valuable commodities, from Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and Kenny Florian to Nate Diaz, Diego Sanchez and Michael Bisping. The show ran for 14 seasons on Spike TV before spending the last three seasons on the FX network.

Season 18 will feature 32 bantamweights, 16 men and 16 women, as they compete for a six-figure UFC contract. The four finalists who navigate their way through the two single-elimination tournaments will meet at “The Ultimate Fighter 18” Finale on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas. The complete season 18 cast follows:

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