The next season of The Ultimate Fighter is going to be special. Instead of rival UFC fighters who generally battle it out at the end of the season, this season will feature two friends – UFC veterans Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen as coaches.
When commentator Jon Anik made this announcement during the UFC 311 broadcast on Saturday, Sonnen and Cormier immediately got competitive after the announcement. DC claimed Sonnen could have fought him years ago while Uncle Chael categorically denied it.
”Your coaches for the upcoming 33rd season of the Ultimate Fighter, are going to be UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen. I guess I will be watching.”
The Good Guy vs The Bad Guy @DC_MMA and @ChaelSonnen will coach Season 33 of #TUF! pic.twitter.com/x2Lo53ycx9
— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2025
At this point in time, not a lot of information is known about the fighters, weight class, or anything else regarding the show. However, Ariel Helwani had previously confirmed that the show would premiere on May 27, 2025.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is a reality TV series that the UFC launched back in 2005 and was immediately a game-changer for the organization, helping to scout and develop new talent. Over the years, TUF has introduced fans to some of the sport’s biggest names like Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping.
These fighters didn’t just win the show; they went on to become UFC champions, proving time and again the program’s knack for identifying top-tier talent.
Hopefully, Sonnen and Cormier can help this new generation of fighters achieve what they managed to in their own careers. Besides, the two share a chemistry, unlike any other pair of coaches we have seen in the TUF.
TUF is the new Good Guy/Bad Guy show
Sonnen and Cormier are polar opposites when it comes to personalities, yet their bond is a strong one as they complement each other. It is visible in each episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast on YouTube.
Sonnen is the original bad guy of the sport and virtually, wrote the playbook on trash talk. While he didn’t win any titles, he was a main-event fighter throughout his career and arguably brought more people to the fight game than most of his peers.
Cormier is more focused on letting your work do the talk. A former Olympian and two-division champ, DC was built like a tank and fought like it. In his prime, he beat the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Stipe Miocic, Derrick Lewis, Anthony Johnson, and Anderson Silva among others.
And this generation of fans has only watched him play the Joker with the Dagetsani camp and try to wrestle anyone who shows up for interviews with him.
Both veterans have previously coached respective seasons of TUF as well. Sonnen’s time on the program led to the origin of the ‘I can’t let you get close’ moment with Wanderlei Silva. Cormier has also featured as a coach before going up against Stipe Miocic on TUF 27.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see the approach both men take towards each other, the show, and the fighters under their tutelage.
