On December 3rd, four fighters will compete for two UFC contracts in the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter’s 14th season. Yet while the focus is primarily on the fighters at this time, being the coach of the winning competitor is also a prestigious honor, and over the past 14 seasons, 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…
Michael Bisping (seasons nine and 14 – 14 not included here)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 3
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 47% (10-11)
Dean Amasinger –
David Faulkner –
Jeff Lawson –
Nick Osipczak 2-3
Ross Pearson* 4-2
Martin Stapleton –
James Wilks* 2-2
Andre Winner** 2-4
Randy Couture (season one)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 60% (37-24)
Stephan Bonnar** 8-6
Alex Karalexis 1-2
Chris Leben 12-7
Nathan Quarry 7-3
Chris Sanford 0-1
Lodune Sincaid 0-1
Mike Swick 9-3
Jason Thacker 0-1
Junior dos Santos (season 13)
Fighters coached: 7
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 33% (3-6)
Shamar Bailey 1-2
Mick Bowman –
Zach Davis –
Justin Edwards (replaced Keon Caldwell) 1-2
Ryan McGillivray 0-1
Ramsey Nijem** 1-1
Javier Torres –
Rashad Evans (season 10)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 62% (17-10)
Jon Madsen 4-1
James McSweeney 1-2
Matt Mitrione 5-1
Roy Nelson* 3-2
Brendan Schaub** 4-2
Darrill Schoonover 0-1
Mike Wessel (previous UFC fights not included)
Justin Wren 0-1
Rich Franklin (season two, season 11 (partial)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 1
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 55% (40-31-1)
Marcus Davis 9-6
Rashad Evans* 11-1-1
Melvin Guillard 10-5
Jorge Gurgel 3-4
Brad Imes** 0-3
Keith Jardine 6-7
Seth Petruzelli 0-4
Anthony Torres 1-1
Forrest Griffin (season seven)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (13-13)
Matt Brown 5-5
Tim Credeur 3-2
Nick Klein –
Dante Rivera 0-1
Amir Sadollah* 5-3
Jesse Taylor 0-1
Cale Yarbrough 0-1
Luke Zachrich –
Dan Henderson (season nine)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 45% (5-6)
Santino DeFranco –
Jason Dent (previous UFC fights not included) 1-1
Cameron Dollar 0-1
DaMarques Johnson** 4-3
Frank Lester 0-1
Mark Miller –
Jason Pierce –
Richie Whitson –
Matt Hughes (seasons two and six)
Fighters coached: 17
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 4
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 39% (24-37)
Dan Barrera 0-1
Blake Bowman –
Josh Burkman 5-5
Dan Christison 1-1
Luke Cummo** 3-4
Mac Danzig* 4-5
Paul Georgieff 0-1
Rob MacDonald 1-2
Billy Miles 0-1
Sammy Morgan 0-2
Tom Murphy 1-0
Dorian Price 0-1
Jared Rollins 0-1
Tommy Speer** 0-2
Joe Stevenson* 8-8
Jason Von Flue (Replaced Burkman) 1-2
Mike Whitehead 0-1
Quinton Jackson (seasons seven and 10)
Fighters coached: 17
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 53% (15-13)
Paul Bradley 0-2
Dan Cramer 1-1
Mike Dolce –
CB Dollaway** 5-4
Gerald Harris 3-1
Zak Jensen –
Marcus Jones 0-1
Scott Junk (previous UFC fights not included)
Jeremy May –
Matthew Riddle 5-3
Demico Rogers –
Patrick Schultz –
Brandon Sene –
Kimbo Slice 1-1
Wes Shivers –
Wes Sims (previous UFC fights not included)
Abe Wagner –
Josh Koscheck (season 12)
Fighters coached: 7
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 1
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 20% (1-4)
Sako Chivitchian 0-1
Jeff Lentz –
Sevak Magakian –
Andy Main –
Nam Phan 1-2
Marc Stevens –
Aaron Wilkinson 0-1
Brock Lesnar (season 13)
Fighters coached: 7
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (4-4)
Nordin Asrih –
Len Bentley –
Chris Cope 1-1
Tony Ferguson* 2-0
Clay Harvison 1-2
Chuck O’Neil (replaced Myles Jury) 0-1
Charlie Rader –
Chuck Liddell (seasons one and 11)
Fighters coached: 15
Season Winners: 3
Season Finalists: 4
Fighters still in UFC: 8
UFC Champions: 1
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 67% (60-29)
Rich Attonito 3-1
Charles Blanchard –
Josh Bryant 0-1
Kenny Florian** 12-5
Forrest Griffin* 9-5
Joseph Henle –
Sam Hoger 2-3
Josh Koscheck 14-5
Court McGee* 3-0
Kyle Noke 3-1
Josh Rafferty 0-1
Diego Sanchez* 12-4
Alex Schoenauer 0-1
Bobby Southworth 0-1
Brad Tavares 2-1
Frank Mir (season eight)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 1
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 47% (17-19)
Junie Browning 1-1
Dave Kaplan 0-2
Tom Lawlor 3-3
Vinny Magalhães** 0-2
Eliot Marshall 3-3
Shane Nelson 2-2
George Roop 2-4
Krzysztof Soszynski 6-2
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (season eight)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 3
Fighters still in UFC: 2
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (14-14)
Ryan Bader* 6-2
Jules Bruchez 0-1
Rolando Delgado 1-2
Efrain Escudero* 3-2
Kyle Kingsbury 4-2
Phillipe Nover** 0-3
John Polakowski 0-1
Shane Primm 0-1
Tito Ortiz (seasons three and 11)
Fighters coached: 15
Season Winners: 2
Season Finalists: 4
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 55% (33-27)
Danny Abbadi 0-2
Seth Baczynski (Replaced Chris Camozzi) 2-1
Michael Bisping* 11-3
Kendall Grove* 7-6
Matt Hamill 9-4
James Hammortree 0-1
Josh Haynes** 0-3
Noah Inhofer –
Kris McCray** 0-3
Clayton McKinney –
Nick Ring 2-1
Rory Singer 2-2
Mike Stine –
Kyacey Uscola –
Jamie Yager 0-1
BJ Penn (season five)
Fighters coached: 8
Season Winners: 0
Season Finalists: 0
Fighters still in UFC: 3
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 59% (26-15-1, 2 NC)
Allen Berube 0-1
Rob Emerson 3-3, 1 NC Gray Maynard 8-1-1, 1 NC
Joe Lauzon (previous UFC fights not included) 7-3
Gabe Ruediger (previous UFC fights not included) 0-2
Andy Wang 0-1
Matt Wiman 8-4
Noah Thomas –
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: 54% (19-16)
Nate Diaz* 9-5
Manny Gamburyan** 2-4
Brian Geraghty 0-1
Corey Hill 1-2
Brandon Melendez 0-1
Cole Miller 7-3
Marlon Sims –
Wayne Weems –
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: 55% (15-12)
Matt Arroyo 1-2
Richie Hightower 0-1
John Kolosci 0-1
Jon Koppenhaver (replaced Roman Mitichyan) 1-1
Troy Mandaloniz 1-1
Roman Mitichyan 1-1
Ben Saunders 4-3
Joe Scarola –
George Sotiropoulos 7-2
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: 36% (9-16)
Tait Fletcher –
Jesse Forbes 0-3
Ed Herman ** 6-5
Solomon Hutcherson 0-1
Mike Nickels 1-1
Ross Pointon 0-2
Kristian Rothaermel 0-1
Kalib Starnes 2-3
Georges St-Pierre 12
Fighters coached: 7
Season Winners: 1
Season Finalists: 2
Fighters still in UFC: 4
UFC Champions: 0
Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 38% (5-8)
Jonathan Brookins* 1-1
Alex Caceres 1-2
Michael Johnson** 1-2
Cody McKenzie 1-2
Spencer Paige –
Dane Sayers –
Kyle Watson 1-1
***
MOST SEASON WINNERS
Liddell 3
Bisping, Nogueira, Ortiz, Hughes 2
MOST FINALISTS
Liddell, Hughes, Ortiz 4
Nogueira, Bisping 3
Franklin, Pulver, St-Pierre, Evans 2
MOST FIGHTERS STILL IN UFC
Liddell 8
St-Pierre, Mir, Couture 4
Lesnar, dos Santos, Evans, Griffin, Pulver, Jackson, Penn, Ortiz 3
BEST POST-TUF UFC WINNING PERCENTAGE
Liddell 67%
Evans 62%
Couture 60%
WORST POST-TUF UFC WINNING PERCENTAGE
Koscheck 20%
Dos Santos 33%
Shamrock 36%
COACHES WHO HAVE COACHED MORE THAN ONE SEASON OF TUF
Liddell, Hughes, Franklin (partial), Ortiz, Jackson, Bisping (season 14 not included here)
*TUF winner
** TUF finalist
Ed. Note – Since season four of TUF didn’t have team-specific coaches, that season is not included here. Plus, Rich Franklin’s late season replacement of Tito Ortiz on TUF 11 is not counted towards his coaching tally.