Eddie Alvarez & Justin Gaethje Confirmed As TUF 26 Coaches
UFC President Dana White has confirmed that lightweights Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje will coach opposite each other on the 26th season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), per MMAFighting.com’s Luke Thomas.
Dana White confirms to @lthomasnews that Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje will be the next coaches of The Ultimate Fighter. #TLTS pic.twitter.com/PLpGHoh8VX
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) July 13, 2017
Earlier this week, MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani reported that the UFC was targeting a bout betwen Alvarez and Gaethje, and although it’s likely that they’ll fight after the season, a date hasn’t been set.
Alvarez, the former UFC lightweight champion, was brutally knocked out by Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 205 last November, surrendering his title in the process. He returned this past May at UFC 211 to take on Dustin Poirier, but the bout was ruled a no-contest after Alvarez landed illegal knees to Poirier’s head. It was expected that the two would rematch, but the UFC has clearly chosen a different path.
Gaethje, the former WSOF (World Series of Fighting) lightweight champion, made his UFC debut against Michael Johnson last weekend (July 7, 2017) in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale. After an exciting back-and-forth first round, Gaethje finished Johnson off in the second frame to complete an impressive promotional debut.
Do you like the idea of Alvarez and Gaethje coaching the next season of TUF?
