Kelvin Gastelum, Efrain Escudero Named TUF: Latin America 2 Coaches
Kelvin Gastelum and Efrain Escudero have been announced as coaches of the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America”.
Both veterans of the original TUF series in the U.S., Gastelum defeated the odds to win in TUF 17, while Escudero came out on top in TUF 8. Gastelum is the son of Mexican immigrants, and Escudero was born in Mexico. Both fighters speak fluent Spanish.
Gastelum (10-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was crowned champion in the 17th season of TUF with a victory over short-odds tournament favourite Uriah Hall. From there, he went on an impressive win streak but has struggled to make 170-pounds, and after missing weight again in his recent loss to Tyron Woodley, UFC President Dana White announced that Gastelum would be making the move to middleweight.
Escudero (23-9 MMA, 4-5 UFC) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Rodrigo de Lima last month but has had mixed success in the UFC overall, having been released twice in the past, and losing more fights than he has won.
The coaches will not square off at the end of the season, as is tradition, due to the fact that they fight in separate weight classes. It is thought, however, that both fighters will have bouts in the series finale. The show will feature 155-pound and 170-pound prospects from Latin America, and the cast is due to be announced in the coming weeks. The series begins filming this month and is due to air on Latin American television in August. The series will also be available on UFC Fight Pass.
