Conor McGregor to Coach on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Opposite Urijah Faber

For a time, it seemed like newly minted interim champ Conor McGregor would be able to relax a bit before his title-unification bout against the long-reigning—but oft-injured—featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo.
On Sunday night, however, the UFC…

For a time, it seemed like newly minted interim champ Conor McGregor would be able to relax a bit before his title-unification bout against the long-reigning—but oft-injured—featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo.

On Sunday night, however, the UFC threw quite the curveball by announcing that the fight would come after the Irish striker had coached a season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite former WEC champion and Team Alpha Male leader Urijah Faber.

The UFC broke the news on Twitter:

At first glance, this may seem insane, given the fact that each season of The Ultimate Fighter traditionally concludes with a bout between the two coaches, and Faber is coming off a lopsided loss at the hands of Frankie Edgar while McGregor is now holding UFC gold.

Fear not, however, as UFC President Dana White explained during the TUF 21 finale broadcast (h/t Sherdog) that the two men will take on strictly coaching roles and will not face off immediately following the season.

TUF 22 will feature an all-lightweight cast made up of a team from the United States coached by Faber and a European team led by McGregor.

It is the first nation-themed season of The Ultimate Fighter to feature a Team USA since 2009’s TUF 9, which featured a Dan Henderson-led American team against Michael Bisping’s Team United Kingdom.

The season will debut on September 9 with a two-hour special and will run for 11 episodes, with the finale likely landing in November.

According to UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta, McGregor will likely face Aldo on January 2 in Las Vegas. Faber will likely share the same card, which would be a similar situation to TUF: Brazil 4, when coaches Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua later squared off.

Keep an eye on Bleacher Report for news on both fighters.

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