Meet the TUF 32 cast: Everything you need to know about Team Grasso & Team Shevchenko athletes
The UFC announced it's 32nd season of The Ultimate Fighter would begin filming in March of this year with men's featherweights and middleweights competing for a UFC contract.
The coaches for this season will be former UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko and reigning champion Alexa Grasso. The coaches will compete in a title fight at the end of the season. The pair have met twice before, first when Grasso defeated Shevchenko, winning the title, and the rematch which ended in a controversial draw.
The show will debut on Tuesday, June 4 on ESPN, but before the show premieres, we've broken down all of the athletes participating on the show.
Who are the TUF 32 featherweights?
Who is Edwin Cooper Jr?
Edwin Cooper Jr. Is a standout at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, a gym that has produced top talents like Jon Jones and Holly Holm. Like Jones and Holm, he’s looking to rise up the featherweight ranks and challenge for a UFC title one day.
The former NCAA Division-I wrestling standout Cooper is 6-1-0 so far in his career. PFL fans might recognize his name right away after his unanimous decision win over Troy Lamson on the PFL Challenger Series in March 2022.
Cooper put his name on the UFC’s radar after a 3-1 stint in LFA. He’s won four consecutive fights overall entering The Ultimate Fighter 32, including a second-round TKO of Robson Junior at LFA 109.
By the time Cooper will step back in the cage on TUF 32, it’ll be more than two years since his last MMA fight. After some injury-related issues paused his career, he’s looking to get back on track in Las Vegas.
Watch Edwin Cooper Jr.'s full interview here
Who is Nathan Fletcher ?
Nathan Fletcher, like his teammate Paddy Pimblett, is looking to make a splash under the UFC lights.
Fletcher is 8-1-0 in his professional career and has spent his entire professional tenure on the Cage Warriors roster. He’s shown a tendency for quick appearances inside the cage, with six of his eight career wins coming by submission.
While Fletcher is a grappling specialist, his striking has improved exponentially over his recent fights, after working with Pimblett and the rest of the Next Generation MMA Liverpool team. Working with elite strikers in Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko could take his skillset to another level.
Fletcher is looking to add his name to UK fighters who found success on The Ultimate Fighter, including UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping. Like Bisping, he could end up being one of the biggest personalities on TUF 32, and a move from 135 to 145 pounds could add longevity to his career.