'The Ultimate Fighter 25' starts filming in January, 'all-star' concept in play

The next season of “The Ultimate Fighter” is expected to end up featuring some familiar names.

MMAjunkie today confirmed “The Ultimate Fighter 25” is currently casting for a January filming start, with the show expected to debut on FS1 in April.

While exact details of the season are still undetermined, UFC officials told MMAjunkie that welterweights are likely to be featured on “TUF 25.” And rather than bring in a cast of unknowns, the promotion currently is targeting a group of “all-stars” to compete on the show, including UFC veterans and former contestants on previous editions of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Additionally, despite rumors of the show’s termination with new owners WME-IMG in place, UFC officials firmly shot down such reports and insisted “TUF 25” is proof of the promotion’s commitment to the long-running reality series.

“The Ultimate Fighter” debuted in 2005 and is largely credited for launching the rise of the UFC to its current position. The live finale saw Forrest Griffin down Stephan Bonnar in a fight that was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, while Diego Sanchez scored a TKO win over Kenny Florian in a bout between two future stars of the sport.

“The Ultimate Fighter 24” currently is airing on FS1 and features flyweight champions from regional promotions around the world competing for a shot at UFC champ Demetrious Johnson.

It’s unclear if the cast of “The Ultimate Fighter 25” would compete for similar stakes. However, it seems that could at least be possible, with the intended format reminiscent of “The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback,” which remains one of the most popular editions of all time. That season, which aired in 2006, featured a cast full of UFC veterans vying for title shots in the middleweight and welterweight divisions.

Travis Lutter claimed the tournament victory at 185 pounds, but missed weight for his title shot at then-champ Anderson Silva and lost a non-title fight via submission.

At welterweight, Matt Serra earned the tournament win and went on to score a first-round TKO over Georges St-Pierre to claim the UFC title. Considered one of the greatest upsets in UFC history, Serra’s win is the only blemish in St-Pierre’s past 19 outings.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.