The coaches for the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter” have not yet been announced.
Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson claims that he was approached about a coaching position on the next 31st season of the reality competition series, which is due to begin filming shortly. Additionally, he was also offered the option of choosing a competitor to coach against.
Ferguson’s first choice was Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, the retired UFC Hall of Famer has entirely left the sport. Thus, former two-division champion Conor McGregor is his next pick.
Ferguson made his comments on social media a day after McGregor claimed to have received an offer to coach on the program.
Ferguson made his first significant impression with Team Lesnar to win Season 13 of TUF in 2011. Ferguson defeated all of his rivals to win the TUF competition: Justin Edwards, Ryan McGillivray, Chuck O’Neil, and Ramsey Nijem in the grand finale.
McGregor previously coached during Season 22 in 2015, McGregor coached opposite Urijah Faber. However, they did not square off in the octagon. McGregor was scheduled to compete for the featherweight title against Jose Aldo shortly after.
It is unknown whether Ferguson and McGregor will face off inside the octagon if they wind up coaching against one another on Season 31 of the program. The next season is anticipated to air later this spring.
McGregor is rumored to be returning sometime this summer after an extended leave for his leg break that he suffered in the summer of 2021 against Dustin Poirier. He has been dropped from UFC’s rankings for the first time in 8 years earlier last year.