DaytonDailyNews.com

When the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Columbus in March, some area talent will be on display.

Dustin Hazelett (10-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Jorge Gurgel (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) both recently learned that they've been added to the fight card for UFC 82, which takes place March 1 at Nationwide Arena.

Hazelett, who's a student and trainer at Gurgel's mixed martial arts training center in West Chester, will appear on a televised portion of a UFC event for the first time in his career.

The 21-year-old, a former student at Marshall University, has pieced together a three-fight win streak in the sport's most distinguished organization. He's earned a fight with Josh Koscheck (9-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), a top-ranked welterweight contender who's won five of his past six fights.

Koscheck is looking to rebound from a loss to Georges St. Pierre in August; Hazelett, meanwhile, could become an overnight contender with a victory over the former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion.

With a loss to Alvin Robinson at Cincinnati's UFC 77 event in October, Gurgel will likely appear in an untelevised preliminary bout at UFC 82.

The popular Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who's trained some of the sport's biggest names, takes on John Halverson (16-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at the event.

'TUF' week

"The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra," the latest installment of the UFC's reality series, concludes this week.

On Wednesday, viewers can tune into the season-ending regular episode, which airs at 10 p.m. on Spike TV. Two semifinal fights take place, and the winners compete at the show's live finale, which airs at 9 p.m. Saturday (also on Spike TV).

Saturday's live event also features a headline bout between lightweights Roger Huerta and Clay Guida. If you've never watched mixed martial arts and wondered why it's all the rage, watch these two popular fighters go at it. You'll be hooked.

Other MMA on TV

• World Extreme Cagefighting's "WEC 31" event features three title fights. Airs at 9 p.m. Dec. 12 on the VERSUS network.

• HDNet Fights "HDNF 2" features co-main events with UFC vets Frank Trigg and Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Airs Dec. 15 on HDNet.

• UFC 79 features Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre for an interim welterweight title, and Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva. Airs at 10 p.m. Dec. 29 on pay-per-view.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, a content partner site of Yahoo! Sports. For the latest news about "The Ultimate Fighter" and the UFC, go to www.mmajunkie.com.