'TUF: Brazil 2' tryouts set for October 14th, debuts March 2013

After posting fantastic ratings for the first season, the UFC is off to Brazil once more to run their second season of The Ultimate Fighter. This edition will feature lightweights and welterweights, and tryouts commence the day after UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. More details from the official press release:

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be hosting a casting call for the second Brazilian edition of its long-running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter, on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro. Season 2 will feature lightweight (155 pounds) and welterweight (170 pounds) fighters.

All TUF Brasil 2 candidates must be between the ages of 18 and 35 and have a minimum of three professional mixed martial arts fights – holding a winning record (with verifiable records on mixedmartialarts.com and sherdog.com). Former UFC fighters are not eligible. Any and all costs associated with attending the tryouts are the sole responsibility of the candidate.

That penultimate sentence is certainly telling. Former UFC fighters are not allowed to compete on TUF: Brazil. Ex-UFC fighters have repeatedly tried out for the American version of TUF in recent seasons, and in fact this upcoming season already saw UFC rejects Nissen Osterneck and Jay Silva give it a shot. TUF 10 actually had former UFC fighters Scott Junk and Wes Sims compete on the show.

The first season of TUF: Brazil saw Rony Jason take the featherweight tournament and Cezar Mutante win the middleweight final, and the coaches were Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.

There's no news on coaches yet, but they did say that the show will debut in March 2013 on Globo in Brazil.