Top 5 Coaches in the History of The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter has long been the lighting rod that helped play a role in the development of mixed martial arts. The fight between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar glued eyes to the sport and will long be recognized as a pivotal moment for not only the UFC but MMA as a whole. Since then, the show has produced some interesting moments and even more interesting characters.
While the athletes who compete for the coveted UFC contract should receive the main spotlight, the coaches on TUF can quickly become central characters of their own. With that in mind, here is a listing of the top five coaches in the history of The Ultimate Fighter.
The coaches on this list were selected due to their ability to lead the men and women who were on their teams during their respective seasons. Their own UFC careers were not fully taken into consideration, although they were recognized for success in the cage that could be used as an example to those on the show.
The rankings were dependent on how well their team finished at the end of the season in relation to the opposing group.
No. 5: Rashad Evans
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The winner of the second season, Rashad Evans returned to coach the heavyweights season back in 2009. The appearance of Kimbo Slice brought more than enough eyes to the show that year, but Evans was able to shine as a coach opposite of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson nonetheless.
In the end, Evans led two of his fighters to the finals, where Roy Nelson would defeat Brendan Schaub to become the winner of the contract. While he may be remembered for his run-in with Matt Hughes during the second season, Evans grew into a great coach when given the opportunity.
His rivalry with Rampage certainly grew throughout the season to the point where he openly criticized the way his opponent coached those on his team.
No. 4: Frankie Edgar
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Frankie Edgar recently ended his stint on The Ultimate Fighter and became the first coach to accomplish a specific feat.
Two weight classes were featured this season—middleweights and light heavyweights—and all four men who made it to the finals were part of Team Edgar.
When two weight classes are featured on the show, no other coach in history has had his team take all four spots in the finals.
Fans also had the opportunity to see the playful side of the former lightweight champion.
No. 3: Tito Ortiz
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Tito Ortiz was featured as a coach on both the third season and the Liddell vs. Ortiz season in 2010.
The third season was certainly his best showing because his team was able to take three of the four spots available in the finals.
The season against Chuck Liddell featured only one weight class, but Ortiz was still able to get one of his fighters to the finals.
Besides those stats, Ortiz will always be remembered for the moment he stood up UFC president Dana White and missed the boxing match that the two individuals were supposed to have during the course of the show.
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No. 2: Matt Hughes
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UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes has taken the reins of two TUF seasons.
He coached the second season back in 2005 and then against Matt Serra in 2007.
Hughes was able to place five men in the finals and has two champions to his credit. He was also a captivating figure of his own as a coach, as he often got into verbal spats with some of the members of the show.
No. 1: Chuck Liddell
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Chuck Liddell has perhaps had the most amount of success as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter.
Liddell produced three different champions across two seasons—the first season in 2005 and when placed against Tito Ortiz in 2010.
His feuds with both Randy Couture and Ortiz provided some of the best moments in the show's history.
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