Upstarts give their all for UFC fame

It was the closest thing to "American Idol" you’ll find in mixed martial arts.

Nearly 300 aspiring fighters showed up to a ballroom at the Red Rock Resort on Thursday for an open casting call for Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter," the mixed martial arts reality show that airs on Spike (Cable 29).

Some of the hopefuls already had found success in the sport, but saw the open call as their best opportunity to earn the guaranteed UFC contract that comes with winning the season title.

Others saw the opportunity as a potential shortcut to MMA’s major leagues.

Jeremiah Riggs, 27, was just looking for a do-over. He qualified for Season 7 after showing up for a casting call in Newark, N.J. His stay was short-lived after he lost an elimination fight on the first day of filming and was sent home.

"I’m just a totally different fighter now. I’m so much more mature," said Riggs, who traveled to Las Vegas with four training partners from the gym in Granite City, Ill., operated by former UFC champion and former TUF coach Matt Hughes. "The opportunity presented itself to come out here and I figured, what do I have to lose?"

From a massive waiting area filled with fighters, coaches, girlfriends and assorted hangers-on, the fighters were called into another room in groups of 20. Two by two, they were randomly called to grapple for two minutes in front of UFC president Dana White, who spoke in much the same way you know Simon Cowell would if it weren’t for the FCC.

White was joined on the panel by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, Spike executive Brian Diamond and various producers and executives.

Having been instructed to show off their jiu-jitsu skills, fighters tried to showcase their offensive repertoire instead of just grinding each other’s games to a defensive standstill.

After each of the 20 had an opportunity, White announced which fighters would move on to the striking portion of the audition. The chosen fighters had only a few minutes to wrap their hands and warm up before hitting pads for a short time.

White then announced who made the all-important interview process, which is essentially the MMA equivalent of "You’re going to Hollywood." Thirty to 40 percent of the 300 fighters made it to the interview portion.

Fighters reaching the interview stage are still a long way from making it on to the show, but it is a major step.

It’s one of the steps James Head hopes to make toward fulfilling his dream of fighting in the UFC. Head is a 26-year-old petroleum engineer from Oklahoma City with a 6-1 MMA record fighting in local organizations in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

He gets in cardio workouts during his lunch break, then heads straight to the gym after work each day. He said he would give up his engineering job should he be chosen to compete on the show.

"I don’t want to be 50 years old, watching TV with my kids and Spike TV is on and we’re watching UFC and I tell them, ‘Hey, I could have done that.’ I want to live my life to the fullest and take the opportunities I have. This would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to make the show," Head said.

The odds are long, though not overwhelming, for fighters such as Head. On each season of "The Ultimate Fighter," at least three contestants — and as many as eight — come from the open casting call, Diamond said. Most of the other contestants are fighters who are on the UFC’s radar and offered direct invitations from the organization.

Several winners, including Season 11 champion Court McGee, emerged from open calls.

Fighters who pass the first round of tryouts — the lucky ones don’t yet know who they are — will be invited back in December for a second round of interviews. The final cast will be chosen and filming will begin in January with 16 fighters living together in Las Vegas for six weeks and competing for a contract.

Head said he would love the chance.

"I think this would be a great opportunity for me to focus solely on training," he said. "If I have to live with 15 other yahoos, then so be it."

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.