On April 20, the newest season of The Ultimate Fighter will hit FS1, and while the focus will be on the light heavyweight men and strawweight women fighting for a UFC contract, there will be no shortage of attention paid to the coaches, UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and No. 1 contender Claudia Gadelha.
In July, these coaches will meet in the Octagon for the second time to settle their score, but there will also be bragging rights on the line as they look to lead their fighters to glory.
Being the coach of the winning competitor is also a prestigious honor, and over the past 11 years, UFC Hall of Famers, champions, and top contenders have held the reins for the hopefuls trying to fight their way into the Octagon.
So what better time than now to turn the spotlight in the direction of the coaches? Who has produced the most TUF champions, and whose selections have gone on to the most success in the UFC after the show? Let the numbers tell the tale…
Vitor Belfort (TUF Brazil)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 3
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (21-21)
Michael Bisping (Seasons nine and 14)
Fighters coached: 16
Season Winners: 3
Season Finalists: 5
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 1
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (40-40, 2 NC)
Shane Carwin (Season 16)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 60% (17-11)
Patrick Cote (TUF Nations)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 4
Fighters still in UFC: 6
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 64% (16-9)
Randy Couture (season one)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 0
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 55% (38-30)
Dominick Cruz (season 15)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 52% (19-17)
Junior Dos Santos (season 13)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 0
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 38% (8-13)
Frankie Edgar (season 19)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 4
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 45% (9-11)
Efrain Escudero (TUF Latin America 2)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 60% (3-2)
Rashad Evans (season 10)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 53% (28-24)
Urijah Faber (season 15, season 22)
Fighters coached: 17
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 3
Fighters still in UFC (only counting TUF 15): 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (27-27, 1 NC)
Rich Franklin (season two, season 11 (partial))
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 1
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 53% (45-38-1, 1 NC)
Kelvin Gasteulm (TUF Latin America 2)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 33% (1-2)
Forrest Griffin (season seven)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 53% (23-20)
Dan Henderson (season nine)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 0
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 31% (5-11)
Matt Hughes (seasons two and six)
Fighters coached: 17
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 5
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 38% (25-41, 1 NC)
Quinton Jackson (seasons seven and 10)
Fighters coached: 17
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (21-21, 2 NC)
Jon Jones (season 17)
Fighters coached: 7
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 47% (10-11)
Josh Koscheck (season 12)
Fighters coached: 7
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 0
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 20% (2-8)
Brock Lesnar (season 13)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 69% (18-8)
Chuck Liddell (seasons one and 11)
Fighters coached: 15
Season Winners: 3
Season Finalists: 3
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 1
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 61% (76-48)
Conor McGregor (season 22)
Fighters coached: 9
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 14% (1-6)
Gilbert Melendez (season 20)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 6
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 47% (9-10)
Jason Miller (season 14)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 56% (30-23, 2 NC)
Frank Mir (season eight)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 48% (24-26)
Roy Nelson (season 16)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 14% (1-6)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (season eight, TUF Brazil 2, TUF Brazil 4 (partial))
Fighters coached: 16
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 5
Fighters still in UFC: 5
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (32-31-1)
Kyle Noke (TUF Nations)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (12-12)
Tito Ortiz (seasons three and 11)
Fighters coached: 15
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 4
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 53% (53-46)
Ross Pearson (TUF Smashes)
Fighters coached: 9
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 3
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 42% (9-11-1)
BJ Penn (season five, season 19)
Fighters coached: 16
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 52% (38-31-1, 2 NC)
Anthony Pettis (season 20)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 8
UFC Champions: 1
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 52% (10-9)
Jens Pulver (season five)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 56% (29-22, 2NC)
Ronda Rousey (season 18)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 26% (4-11)
Mauricio Rua (TUF Brazil 4)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (3-3)
Matt Serra (season six)
Fighters coached: 9
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 54% (18-15)
Ken Shamrock (season three)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 44% (13-16, 1 NC)
Anderson Silva (TUF Brazil 4)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (1-1)
Wanderlei Silva (TUF Brazil, TUF Brazil 3)
Fighters coached: 16
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 45% (19-23, 1NC)
Chael Sonnen (season 17, TUF Brazil 3)
Fighters coached: 15
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 5
Fighters still in UFC: 7
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 57% (28-21, 2NC)
George Sotiropoulos (TUF Smashes)
Fighters coached: 9
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 44% (8-10)
Georges St-Pierre (season 12)
Fighters coached: 7
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (20-20, 1 NC)
Miesha Tate (season 18)
Fighters coached: 9
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 60% (9-6)
Cain Velasquez (TUF Latin America)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 3
Fighters still in UFC: 7
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 63% (12-7)
Fabricio Werdum (TUF Brazil 2, TUF Latin America)
Fighters coached: 16
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 7
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 53% (15-13)
***
MOST SEASON WINNERS
3 - Liddell, Bisping
2 - Nogueira, Ortiz, Hughes, Velasquez, Tate, Sonnen, W.Silva, Faber, Edgar, Cote
MOST FINALISTS
5 - Sonnen, Nogueira, Hughes, Bisping
4 - Ortiz, Edgar, Cote
3 - Velasquez, Pearson, Liddell, Faber, Belfort
MOST FIGHTERS STILL IN UFC
8 - Pettis
7 - Sonnen, Velasquez, Werdum
6 - Cote, Melendez
BEST POST-TUF UFC WINNING PERCENTAGE (min 10 fights)
Lesnar 69%
Cote 64%
Velasquez 63%
WORST POST-TUF UFC WINNING PERCENTAGE (min 10 fights)
Koscheck 20%
Rousey 26%
Henderson 31%
FIGHTERS WHO HAVE COACHED MORE THAN ONE SEASON OF TUF
Liddell, Hughes, Franklin (partial), Ortiz, Jackson, Bisping, Werdum, Sonnen, W.Silva, Penn, Nogueira, Faber
Notes – Since season four, season 21 and TUF China didn’t have traditional single coaches, those seasons are not included here. Plus, Rich Franklin’s late season replacement of Tito Ortiz on TUF 11 and Minotauro Nogueira’s replacement of Anderson Silva are not counted towards their coaching tallies.