Ultimate Coaches: Hendo and Bisping?

Nick Colon by Columnist Written on September 29, 2008
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Rumor has it that for Season Nine of the hit Ultimate Fighter series, the coaches representing their respective nations will be Dan Henderson, and Michael Bisping.

Now this to me seems a little absurd. Really absurd. Don't get me wrong, Dan Henderson is a work horse, and I think he fits the perfect mold for a coach on a series such as the Ultimate Fighter, but Michael Bisping? C'mon.

Bisping has been a hit ever since dropping weight to make the Middleweight division of the UFC. However, his opponents have been, well, less than stellar. He's fought now retired Charles McCarthy, and no-namer Jason Day. If that's enough to get you a coaching position on TUF, then Dana White and the organization just as well could bring Ross Pointon back to coach...maybe not.

Now I'm no stranger to marketing ploys. White, and the Fertita brothers are obviously appealing to their UK fans by bringing TUF to their nation. However, I think it is a poor choice. Bisping is the only main UK draw, and it's a shame that he really has to give Bisping so much publicity. If Bisping really was among the best at 185, then let him show it.

If I were promoting the whole TUF series, and was looking for an audience to appeal to, why not keep the same U.S. vs another nation theme going, and make it Brazil?  Then fighters like Anderson Silva, Damien Maia, Paulo Filho (once WEC merges divisions), and other greats in Brazil, could coach. 

Again, I'm not a stranger to marketing, and I know they have trouble speaking English, so that would be a negative. But isn't it hard enough to deal with Nogueira's speech as is right now on TUF? What about the whole British language? They have a thick accent too.

All I'm saying is that Bisping shouldn't be a possible coach...especially if he loses to Leben, because all I keep hearing is that at the end of that season, Hendo and Bisping will meet to become the number one contender to Silva's title (or Cote), regardless if Bisping loses to Leben.

Am I alone in thinking that Bisping shouldn't be a coach? What about a different country? Any thoughts?

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written on September 29, 2008 Preview/Prediction

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