UFC’s White Teases Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen as Possible “TUF” Coaches

UFC President Dana White told MMA Fighting that he has yet to select the two coaches for the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but amid his deliberations and planning, he was able to tease some potential pairings.

One such dynamic would involve Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva. Sonnen, one of the best talkers in the business, would seem a natural for building a fight in the “TUF” atmosphere, while Silva has a significant degree of likability and experience that also lends itself to coaching.

A hold-up would reportedly be the need for Sonnen to be re-licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Sonnen is currently serving as suspension with the California State Athletic Commission that expires in March, and while the “TUF” fight would not be until this summer, NSAC reps have made statements confirming that Sonnen would need licensing simply to coach on the show, assuming it remains in its Las Vegas area home.

Originally due for a rematch with Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, Sonnen was left out of the loop due to his suspension. Silva will next fight Vitor Belfort, and the winner of that bout is scheduled to defend against Yushin Okami. Unable to immediately enter the title mix, a marquee fight with Silva would keep Sonnen hot and presumably represent the only win needed to reclaim his number one contendership.

Another combination would involve bantamweights Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres. Considered the biggest marquee matchup in that division, Faber and Torres would represent an ideal opportunity for getting the newly-acquired WEC weight classes over with the UFC crowd. Torres, however, is currently booked for a fight in February, and that bout would need to be canceled to allow the bantamweight standout to appear as a coach.

A final discussed option is Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir. Initially viewed as a “sure thing” fight, talk of the rubber match turned cold when Dana White publicly acknowledged fan complaints in admitting disinterest in running that fight. Things looked even more pessimistic for the bout when news broke this week that Mir had verbally agreed to a fight with Brendan Schaub.

But as their rivalry is the most electric and bankable in mixed martial arts, it would be hard for UFC to turn down the surefire ratings–and later PPV buyrate–performance guaranteed by their pairing. Having Lesnar and Mir serve as opposing coaches for a full television season would significantly amplify interest in an already hot fight.

The idea of Lesnar coaching on “TUF,” however, is quite surprising given the fighter’s previous disinterest in appearing for extensive filming. White confirmed to MMAFighting that he was due to have a talk with Lesnar’s management Monday about the former champion’s Octagon future.