'The Ultimate Fighter 15' cast unveiled with 32 lightweight fighters, PXC's Jon Tuck part of the cast

The UFC and FX have revealed 32 lightweight fighters who have been selected to compete on "The Ultimate Fighter 15."

The show (also dubbed "TUF: Live") debuts March 9 on FX with a two-and-half-hour episode that features 16 live elimination-round fights. All the winners earn official cast-member status.

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and top contender Urijah Faber serve as coaches on the tournament-based show, which initially was slated to feature both lightweights and welterweights.

However, the field now includes just lightweights. Notable 155-pounders from the list include "TUF 13" competitor Myles Jury (who was forced off the show with a torn ACL), Cristiano Marcello and James Krause. Cast members come from the U.S., England, Northern Ireland and Brazil, but notable is Jon Tuck who has fought in the Philippines under the PXC banner.

The "TUF 15" debuts airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT (meaning the West Coast will get a delayed feed). Future episodes then air every Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. After the live debut, the remaining 12 episodes include pre-taped content and then a live fight to close out each show.

The show's live finale takes place June 1, when a "TUF 15" champion will be crowned.

"TUF 15" is the first season to air on the FOX-owned FX. All previous seasons aired on Spike TV.

The official "TUF 15" cast includes:

Akbarh Arreloa (Chula Vista, Calif.)
Al Iaquinta (Wantagh, N.Y.)
Ali Maclean (Belfast, North Ireland)
Andy Ogle (Tynemouth, England)
Austin Lyons (Cordova, Tenn.)
Brendan Weafer (New York, N.Y.)
Chris Tickle (Bloomington, Ill.)
Cody Pfister (Amarillo, Texas)
Cristiano Marcello (Curitiba, Brazil)
Chase Hackett (Littleton, Colo.)
Chris Saunders (Long Beach, Calif.)
Dakota Cochrane (Omaha, Neb.)
Daron Cruickshank (Wayne, Mich.)
Drew Dober (Omaha, Neb.)
Erin Beach (San Diego, Calif.)
James Krause (Blue Springs, Mo.)
James Vick (Fort Worth, Texas)
Jared Carlsten (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Jeff Smith (Mechanicsburg, Penn.)
Jeremy Larsen (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Joe Proctor (Pembroke, Mass.)
John Cofer (Hull, Ga.)
Johnavan Vistante (Pearl City, Hawaii)
Jon Tuck (Hagtna, Guam)
Jordan Rinaldi (Matthews, N.C.)
Justin Lawrence (Villa Ridge, Mo.)
Mark Glover (Liverpool, England)
Michael Chiesa (Spokane Valley, Wash.)
Myles Jury (San Diego, Calif.)
Mike Rio (Miami, Fla.)
Sam Sicilia (Spokane Valley, Wash.)
Vinc Pichel (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)

Australia, India and the Philippines next for 'The Ultimate Fighter,' White says

With the first live season of "The Ultimate Fighter" kicking off next week in the U.S. and the first international edition of the reality series currently in production in Brazil, the focus now turns to new locales.

Up next?

Australia, India and the Philippines, UFC president Dana White said.

"They're up next week," White said at a UFC on FX 2 press conference in Sydney. "We just need to finalize the (broadcast) deals."

"TUF 15" is the first season of the seven-year-old series to air on the UFC's new cable partner, FX, following a long and fruitful run on Spike TV. As recently reported, FUEL TV officials have confirmed "TUF: Brazil" will air on the FOX-owned cable station, though details haven't been finalized.

The show airs locally on Globo, which has quickly become a destination for the UFC in Brazil.

Brazil, of course, is an MMA hotbed, and two recent pay-per-view events in the country have laid the ground work for a bigger UFC presence. But after that, the attention turns to other new countries.

Australia, for example, hosts its third event in two years with this weekend's UFC on FX 2 show. With a quickly growing regional scene, more and more talent is coming out of the country. "TUF: Australia" would identify some of the best and open a door to competing in the UFC along the likes of Australians of James Te Huna, Kyle Noke and George Sotiropoulos.

The same goes for India and the Philippines, which have never hosted a UFC show but long been on the organization's radar. Currently, no events are scheduled for either country, but a "TUF" season could set the groundwork.