Michael Bisping and Either Dan Henderson or Rich Franklin Will Be the Coaches on TUF 9

When it was first announced that the ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" would feature a US vs UK theme, many people (including myself) assuming that Michael Bisping would end up being the coach for the UK team. Bisping is easily the highest profile UK fighter in the UFC right now, and an appearance on the show would do wonders to elevate his profile with casual MMA fans.

According to UFC President Dana White, Bisping is definitely going to be the coach of the UK team, regardless of what happens in his fight against Chris Leben at UFC 89. White said "Win, lose or draw, he will coach the British team."

The question now is - who will coach the US team and ultimately square off against Bisping in 2009?

There are two fighters that are being eyed for the head coaching spot - Dan "Hollywood" Henderson and Rich "Ace" Franklin. These two fighters will be squaring off against each other at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland, and you can only assume that the winner of this fight will be given the head coaching duties for the US team on the ninth season of the Ultimate Fighter. I can only assume that Bisping would be moving back to light heavyweight if he were to take on the winner of Henderson/Franklin. A win over Leben at UFC 89 would vault Bisping closer to a shot at Anderson Silva's middleweight title, so I am not sure how the UFC would handle this. It seems as though a Bisping/Silva title fight would generate plenty of interest.

Anyways, that's where the ninth season of the Ultimate Fighter is at right now. The two coaches will be Bisping and either Henderson or Franklin. Both Henderson and Franklin would be great choices, in my opinion.

Source: Fighters Only Magazine

Play Poker - Receive a $600 Bonus