UWM alumna Leah Letson will display her fighting prowess in front of the entire nation as one of 16 UFC hopefuls on “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters.” The show, in its 28th season, will debut on Aug. 29 on FS1.
The popular series features two groups of fighters – eight male heavyweights and eight female featherweights – living together and fighting one another (in the cage, of course). The contenders in each weight class are pitted against one another in a series of tournaments, leading up to a finale bout between the two finalists of each class.
The winners at the live, Las Vegas finale bout on Nov. 30 are dubbed the Ultimate Fighter and offered the ultimate prize – a “six figure” UFC contract.
The 25-year-old Letson is one of the season’s youngest and least-tested contestants, having compiled a 4-1 record in professional MMA bouts.
Current UFC fighters serve as coaches to all of the show’s contenders. This season, UFC middleweight contender Kevin Gastelum and reigning middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will coach the group of 16. Gastelum and Whittaker were winners of previous seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter” and are also slated to compete in a title fight after their coaching duties conclude.
Letson graduated from UWM in 2016 with degrees in criminal justice and psychology. She served in the Air National Guard throughout her time at UWM.
