A Fenton man was recently announced as one of more than two dozen participants to spar in tonight's premiere of FX's "Ultimate Fighter."

Adam Cella, who trains at Finney's MMA in Crestwood, will compete against international contestants for the chance to earn an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contract.  

Tonight's two-hour season debut will whittle the 28 prospects down to 14 season cast members. Remaining fighters will continue to train and face off against each other until a contract winner is declared. This season's contestants will be coached by current UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and contender Chael Sonne.

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The 27-year-old is 4-0 in his professional MMA career and also dabbled in kickboxing. Cella, who grew up in Imperial, told Knuckle Junkies last year it was his "goal to get on TV."

But Cella wasn't always a martial arts superstar.

"He walked into the gym at 252 pounds with glasses on, never been in a fight and never been hit," Finney's MMA owner Jesse Finney told Knuckle Junkies this month.

See which five contestants Bleacher Report chose as favorites to win the competition. One contestant, whose name was not revealed, reportedly terrifies other contestants, according to Bleacher Report.

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