Local Biz Owner in Running for Spike TV Reality Series

We last heard from Jeff Hougland, owner of in Enumclaw, after his victory at the mixed martial arts competition  back in January. 

Hougland's back in the news again as we've learned here at Patch that this week, he has just finished auditions for Spike TV's reality series The Ultimate Fighter over in Newark, N.J. 

Patch calendar editor Michael Matthews, who is a regular at Combat Sports, alerted us to Hougland's making it through his audition process this past Monday. The rest of us at Enumclaw Patch confess to knowing little about the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), but according to Matthews, The Ultimate Fighter  is a launching pad for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) to bring new talent into the industry spotlight. There have been something like five world champions and countless contenders who got their start through this reality series, he said.

Hougland himself called it a 'helluva' experience that involved more than 400 people -- many of them former WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) and UFC fighters. He should hear back from show executives in the next week or so if he's made it. 

Meanwhile, check out this clip put together by AOL-owned MMA Fighting that includes highlights from the recent auditions -- find Hougland at roughly 1:13.

To check out Hougland in action, view this fight reel (Note: Some scenes are graphic.)