The Ultimate Fighter 17 debut recap: Jon Jones meets Chael Sonnen and other highlights

MMA Mania took the trouble to summarize the espisode. Here are some nuggets:

What’s different for this season is that for the first time ever, the contestants can bring their friends and families to watch them compete for a spot on the show. Just what every prospect needs: more pressure! The coaches meet for the first time and exchange pleasantries.
…
Here comes Josh Samman, who is trying to get into the TUF house for the fourth time. Unfortunately, it has to come at the expense of Leo Bercier, who talks like Mason Verger and carries a few hundred years of Native American oppression into the cage with him.

Samman wins by way of “goofy double-fisted ground and pound” (Dana’s words, not mine).
Smith, who’s built like a comic book superhero, collects his debt by way of arm-triangle choke.

The finalized TUF 17 cast:

Dylan Andrews (16-4-1), 32, Gold Coast, Australia (by way of New Zealand)
Kito Andrews (9-2), 34, Sacramento

Luke Barnatt (5-0), 24, Cambridge, England
Leo Bercier (7-2), 31, Great Falls, Mont.
Ryan Bigler (9-3), 28, Yona, Guam
Kevin Casey (5-2), Hawthorne, Calif.
Adam Cella (4-0), 27, Fenton, Mo.
Zak Cummings (15-3), 28, Kansas City, Mo.
Andy Enz (6-1), 21, Anchorage
Nik Fekete, 32, Las Vegas
Kelvin Gastelum (5-0), 20, Yuma, Ariz.
Uriah Hall (7-2), 28, New York City (by way of Jamaica)
Collin Hart (4-1-1), 23, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Clint Hester (7-3), 25, Atlanta
Jake Heun (3-2), 25, Salt Lake City
Mike Jasper (6-0), 29, Camarillo, Calif.
Nicholas Kohring (3-0), 22, Valley Springs, Calif.
Robert McDaniel (20-6), 29, Albuquerque
Fraser Opie (10-5), 29, Milton Keynes, England (by way of South Africa)
Mike Persons (3-0), 28, Manteca, Calif.
Jimmy Quinlan (3-0), 26, Metheun, Mass.
Scott Rosa (4-1), 26, Sparks, Nev.
Joshua Samman (9-2), 24, Tallahassee, Fla.
Gilbert Smith (5-1), Colorado Springs
Eldon Sproat (3-1), 27, Molokai, Hawaii
Tor Troeng (15-4-1), 29, Umea, Sweden
Eric Wahlin (5-1), 29, Taylorsville, Utah
Timothy Williams (7-1), 26, Millville, N.J.

Team Jones:

Dylan Andrews
Adam Cella
Collin Hart
Clint Hester
Bubba McDaniel
Joshua Samman
Gilbert Smith

Team Sonnen:

Luke Barnatt
Kevin Casey
Zak Cummings
Kelvin Gastelum
Urijah Hall
Jimmy Quinlan
Thor Troeng

Dana tells the teams that not only is he brinbging back the wildcard, which gives an eliminated fighter the chance to return, he’s also dishing out a bevy of fight bonuses.

$5,000 per finish
$25,000 for best knockout of the season
$25,000 for best submission of the season
$25,000 (each) for best fight of the season