On a night where Bellator returned, it might be the UFC that steals the headlines. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was told by Dana White tonight that Alexander Volkanovski (22-1) and Brian Ortega (15-1, 1 NC) will be the next coaches of The Ultimate Fighter.
The UFC had been searching for coaches and this one materialized due to a fight cancellation. Originally, Volkanovski was going to defend his featherweight title against T-City at UFC 260.
However, Volkanovski tested positive for COVID and the fight was called off. As a result, the UFC started working on a new date and the idea for them coaching The Ultimate Fighter began to materialize.
The show is set to begin filming later this month. Originally, the UFC was targeting Colby Covington – Jorge Masvidal as the coaches of TUF, however, things changed when the promotion shifted to Masvidal – Usman.
Combine that with the cancellation of the UFC 260 title fight and it was the perfect storm that led to Volkanovski and Ortega coaching. This will be the UFC‘s first season of TUF on the ESPN platform.
UFC featherweight title
As mentioned, the show begins filming later this month and will air in the early summer. The show usually runs for six weeks. The UFC is currently planning on Ortega and Volkanovski fighting after the show concludes.
Given the timeframes and what is currently booked, we will likely see the title fight in either August or September. For Volkanovski, he’s going to be searching for his second successful UFC title defense.
Many don’t believe that he won his first title defense against Max Holloway. This fight is pivotal in showing the world that he’s the best. For Brian Ortega, he’s going to get his second chance at capturing UFC gold.
His first attempt came against Max Holloway and he was completely dominated. However, Ortega returned last year after a lengthy layoff and looked like he could be the best featherweight in the UFC. This year’s TUF and this featherweight title fight should have fans excited.