According to multiple reports, verbal agreements are in place between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Fabricio Werdum to coach the second season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil’ (TUF: Brazil). Globo Esporte was the first to report the news.
The reports indicate the second season of ‘TUF: Brazil’ will begin filming in January of 2013 and broadcasting on the Brazilian television channel Globo in March. The cast will consist of welterweight fighters.
As is customary for coaches on TUF, the coaches will fight one another at the conclusion of the season. That impending fight between Nogueira, 36, and Werdum, 35, is a rematch of their bout in the quarterfinals of 2006 Openweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal at PRIDE Critical Countdown Absolute. Nogueira won that bout via unanimous decision.
This also marks the second time Nogueira has served as a coach on a version of this reality series. The former PRIDE and Interim UFC heavyweight champion coached opposite Frank Mir on season 8 of Spike TV’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ in the U.S. Werdum, by contrast, served as the jiu-jitsu coach for Team Wanderlei Silva on the inaugural season of ‘TUF: Brazil’.
Nogueira last competed this month at UFC 153 where he submitted Dave Herman by first-round armbar. Werdum last fought in the Octagon at UFC 147 in June of 2012 where he bested Mike Russow by first-round TKO.
While the UFC has not made any formal announcements regarding the show, the first edition of ‘TUF: Brazil’ was later aired in the U.S. on FUEL TV and on UFC.com.