Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje will be the head coaches for season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter. For the second time in TUF history, a new weight class is being introduced and a new champion will be crowned. Alvarez and Gaethje will coach 16 flyweight women throughout the season and lead them to a shot at being the inaugural women’s 125-pound UFC champion. In season 20 Carla Esparza emerged victorious earning the strawweight world title with a third-round submission win over Rose Namajunas.
Former UFC lightweight champion Alvarez (28-5, 1 NC) has held a belt in nearly every promotion he’s ever competed in and will use his experience to try and produce a champion in the UFC’s newest weight class. He has 22 finishes – 17 knockouts and five submissions – in his 28 professional wins and packs one of the most powerful punches in the 155-pound division.
After making an impressive UFC debut with a second-round knockout of No. 5 Michael Johnson during International Fight Week , Gaethje (18-0) will be looking to coach the next world champion en route to becoming a champion himself. With 15 knockouts and one submission on his record, Gaethje has become one of the most exciting fighters every time he competes and will no doubt try to pass his highlight reel finishes on to the women he will be coaching.
The Ultimate Fighter remains the highest rated and most watched original show on FS1 and will premiere on Wednesday, August 30th.
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