When a new season of The Ultimate Fighter comes around there are always fighters who miss out due to the weight classes chosen for the series.
The upcoming TUF-Australia versus UK tryouts will not feature lightweight and welterweight’s cage-fighting bantamweight champion Gustavo Falciroli, regarded as the best 135lb fighter in the country.
He’s probably Australia’s best fighter not in the UFC, yet looks to have missed out on his chance to impress selectors.
While some will say that the 20lb (9kg) difference between his normal weight class and the class in which he will be forced to fight if selected for TUF will be too much, why was fellow bantamweight Richie ‘Vas’ Vaculik selected to try out?
Big wave surfer Vaculik is rated as the number two bantamweight in Australia and lost via decision to Falciroli in March of 2010.
Falciroli, who has a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt from Roberto Tozi, walks around at 70kg before making his weight cut for a fight.
“Such is life,” said Falciroli.
“I will keep moving forward, I’m quite a bit disappointed but it’s going to go away soon. This hasn’t changed any of my plans.”
Brazilian-born Falciroli did have a worry about getting an Australian citizenship in time for the tryouts, but his manager-Daniel Herbertson confirmed it shouldn’t have been an issue and he is investigating the situation.
“Gustavo is eligible and his paperwork is in,” said Herbertson. “It shouldn’t have been an issue for Zuffa.”
Another Australian who won’t be trying out in Sydney on June 12 is flyweight Shabe Kafo.
Kafo is one of the most dangerous lighter-weight fighters in the country on the ground. Since making the drop to 125lb he has won via armbar and pulled off a twister in his most recent fight at CFC 21 in Sydney.
Hopefully for Falciroli and for Australian MMA it is all just a communication error and he is allowed to try out next week.
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