The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) has been a regular fixture of UFC programming for the last 15 years. To the delight of many fans the popular reality show will be returning in March of 2021 on ESPN+.

The show has produced countless elite fighters for the UFC and plenty of champions. UFC President Dana White will be hoping season 29 can do the same.

While the show isn’t the big hit it once was, you can see why the UFC keep going back to the well. The first season almost saved the organisation, with the final fight between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar going down in UFC folklore.

Need Coaches For Season 29 In 2021

The upcoming season will feature fighters from bantamweight and middleweight fighting for a UFC contract. Casting for the show is due to finish up in the coming days, with the finalist being announced at the end of the month.

However, one thing that is yet to be decided is the coaches.

Each season two UFC fighters come in with their teams to coach and mentor the finalist. We have seen some seasons that the coaches were the highlights of the show.

Fans get a great kick out of a hostile environment; we really are sick individuals.

We like to see coaches that are due to fight soon. The tensions build over the course of the show and things get very heated.

Long term fans of the show loved seasons like Rampage Jackson vs Rashad Evans, Cody Garbrandt vs TJ Dillashaw, Michael Bisping vs Jason Miller and Chael Sonnen vs Wanderlei Silva. That’s just to name a few.

So, as the Ultimate Fighter returns after a two-year break, fans will be looking for that fire again.

That’s what we will be chatting about today. Who should be the coaches on TUF 29?

Possible Choices

Originally, I thought Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier would be a good shout. But their January clash seems to be almost official. This just doesn’t make the timeframe for that to happen possible.

Normally this sort of article would be done in list form because I’m quite an indecisive person. That won’t be the case for this one as I feel there is only one obvious answer.

Options like Israel Adesanya and Jan Blachowicz or even Jon Jones would be fun.

You could even bring Michael Chandler on board against a fellow lightweight. This could be Tony Ferguson or Justin Gaethje for example. It would be a good chance to give the people that don’t know Michael Chandler a good look at him.

Even at that, you would imagine Chandler will want his UFC debut to come in a timely manner.

Look To Welterweight For Coaches

Love him or hate him, Colby Covington is entertaining. You will tune in as a fan or to see him get battered but you will tune in.

He has rubbed so many people up the wrong way. While he isn’t at the level of Chael Sonnen or Conor McGregor, he still makes for good viewing. His character is very cringy but imagine him poking the bear for an entire season of TUF.

Who should this bear be then?

I thought at first Kamaru Usman was the man for the job. But I feel Gilbert Burns deserves his shot at the champ after missing out back in July due to Covid-19. That could be another possible coaching pairing but that still isn’t it.

No, the man Colby should be paired up with is Jorge Masvidal.

Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal

The animosity between these two men is very real. It’s hostile and we would have fireworks if these two men were the coaches.

These two are former teammates, friends and even lived together at one stage. But that all went by the wayside only a few years ago. Masvidal came to hate what Colby became with all his trash talking.

Both men seem on a collision course to fight for number one contender ship. So, hype up that fight more and let it really boil over. Anything could happen with these two different personalities in proximity for an extended period.

Covington’s pro wrestling heel persona would really shine in this setting. No doubt he will come across as extremely unlikeable but that’s what he wants. Contrast that with Masvidal’s real as it gets street fighter attitude and watch the mayhem unfold.

I wouldn’t imagine either fighters would be the most hands on with their coaching roles. Masvidal has his team from American Top Team and Covington has his MMA Masters crew. This means the contestants are still getting elite training and guidance on the show either way.

For the fans Covington and Masvidal as coaches is all we need. Build up that fight on the show and bring it to a climax when TUF season 29 ends in 2021.

Do you agree?

If not, shout out who you would like to see coach the upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter. Even let us know if we missed out anyone all together.

As always keep an eye on the Big Kick Off for great daily content.