Ronda Rousey To Coach The Ultimate Fighter Season 18
By Josh Sanchez
Feb 23, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Ronda Rousey gets ready for her UFC women’s championship defense at UFC 157 against Liz Carmouche. Rousey will become the first female to coach a season of The Ultimate Fighter. Mandatory Photo Credit: US Presswire
UFC women’s champion Ronda Rousey has already made multiple first in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a female and she is set to set another historic mark. UFC president Dana White announced following the main event of the UFC 158 FX preliminary card that Rousey would be a coach on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Rousey will coach opposite the winner of Miesha Tate vs. Cat Zingano — a bout that will go down at The Ultimate Fighter 17 finale in Las Vegas.
It’s a great moment for the sport as one of the brightest stars, regardless of gender, is going to be getting more face time for a national audience. Rousey is already one of the sports biggest pay-per view draws and appearing on The Ultimate Fighter will only strengthen her draw.
On the upcoming season, both men and women fighters will be on the cast and living and training together. It should be interesting.
Both the men and women will be fighting in the 135-pound weight class.
While some may be critical of the decision to have men and women in the same house, I doubt there is a reason for concern. The UFC won’t be bringing in no-name female fighters. Instead, they will be bringing in established female fighters who already have a true sense of professionalism and will be focused on fighting and not the drunken meatheads that often make up the cast.
It’s going to be a historic season for the UFC and will surely get the ratings that Dana White is hoping for.
When you have someone with as much marketing power as Ronda Rousey, you have to use it, and White is smart enough to realize that.