UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and no. 2 ranked contender Brian Ortega are set to coach the 29th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” ahead of their featherweight title bout.
The 29th season will feature contestants competing in both the middleweight and bantamweight divisions.
UFC president Dana White officially broke the news to the promotion’s broadcast partner ESPN last Friday. The show will air on ESPN+ in the United States.
The pair were initially scheduled to face off for the title at UFC 260 as the co-main event of the pay-per-view, however Volkanovski was forced off the card due to testing positive for COVID-19 and as a result the bout was scrapped.
“The Ultimate Fighter” has not been on television since 2018, when Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum coached heavyweights and female featherweights on Fox Sports 1.
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Talks of the show returning have been going on for some time, with rumors that Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington would return as coaches along with rumors of Masvidal coaching against Kamaru Usman as well.
However the promotion ultimately decided on Volkanovski and Ortega as coaches for TUF’s return.
The 29th season is said to begin filming later this month and the featherweight title fight between Volkanovski and Ortega will be scheduled after the completion of the 29th season.
TUF 29 season to feature Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega as coaches
