· TUF Preview: Wild Cards & Long Shots

When “The Ultimate Fighter” returns to Spike TV, coaches Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos will attempt to hone the skills of 14 unsigned welterweights. With a mixed cast of notable names and rising prospects, this season could produce at least a few UFC mainstays.

The second part of our preview will focus on the fighters pegged as the season’s wild cards and long shots to win the tournament.

The Wild Cards

Chris “C-Murder” Cope (4-1; 2 KO)
Already a Strikeforce veteran, Cope earned a TKO victory over Ron Keslar at the “Fedor vs. Werdum” event last June. Training at The Arena in San Diego with the likes of Rani Yahya and the "Cyborgs," the 28-year-old has quickly secured his place as a rising MMA prospect. He has been placed in our “Wild Cards” section due to his lack of experience, but he could prove to be a breakout star by using his smarts (he’s a UC Santa Barbara graduate and works for a law office in San Diego) and physical talents.

Javier Torres (3-0; 2 subs)
Perhaps one of the most charismatic members of this season’s cast, Torres is of Mexican descent and trains with notable coach Shawn Tompkins in Las Vegas. Still just 25 years old, Torres has proven to have a well-rounded game, holding two submissions in MMA and a 9-0 amateur boxing record.

Zach Davis (4-1; 1 KO, 3 sub)
A Lloyd Irvin product and East Coast fighter, Davis started out as a wrestler and transitioned to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA. Currently riding a three-fight winning streak, the 27-year-old could use his physical skills to carry him far in the tournament.

The Long Shots

Clay Harvison (6-1; 2 KO, 4 sub)
Although he boasts a solid 6-1 record with none of his fights having made it into the second round, Harvison is 30 years old and could be near his top potential as a fighter. A veteran of Wild Bill’s Fight Night in Georgia, Harvison holds a win over TUF veteran Blake Bowman.

Len “The Liger” Bentley (9-4; 2 KO, 6 sub)
A training partner of UFC veterans Brad Blackburn and Dennis Hallman, the 28-year-old “Liger” comes in having lost two of his last three, including a bout for M-1 Challenge in September and one to TUF 11 vet Cody McKenzie’s guillotines last January. Although he could be a decent project fighter, there are just so many other top talents on this cast that it will be difficult for him to make noise.

Ramsey Nijem (4-1; 1 KO, 2 sub)
Although he possesses a solid wrestling base and a good background, training with TUF champion Court McGee and Josh Burkman in Utah, the 22-year-old Nijem may be in over his head in such a deep talent pool. He is currently riding a three-fight winning streak and boasts two career submissions.