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It was announced recently that the coaches for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter will be UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Peña and featherweight champion, Amanda Nunes. This edition will be the 30th installment of the series.
Nunes and Peña recently competed at UFC 269, when the latter pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC title fight history. With the two being announced as coaches, they will also compete at the end of the series in a rematch for the bantamweight title.
While the popularity of The Ultimate Fighter may have waned in recent years, the show has produced some of the most popular stars in the promotion's history. While not every winner goes on to do big things, some competitors are able to use it as a springboard to a very successful career in the UFC.
With 29 seasons in the bank, there is plenty of talent to choose from. With that in mind, here are the five best UFC fighters who competed in The Ultimate Fighter:
Honorable mentions: Carla Esparza, Forrest Griffin, Matt Serra, Nate Diaz, Rashad Evans, Tony Ferguson
#5. Robert Whittaker - former UFC middleweight champion
Robert Whittaker has the potential to climb up this list should he re-claim the middleweight title this Saturday against Israel Adesanya. Regardless of what happens this weekend, Whittaker has proved himself to be one of the best middleweights we've seen and a true credit to The Ultimate Fighter.
'The Reaper' took part in 'The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes' and interestingly competed at welterweight during the season. He quickly secured two knockouts to advance to the final, which he would go on to win via unanimous decision. After some mixed results at welterweight, he will find his home at 185 lbs.
Following the move into weight class, 'Bobby Knuckles' has put together a 10-1 record in the division and won the middleweight title in the process. His one loss came at the hands of Israel Adesanya but should he avenge that on Saturday, he has the potential to go down as one of the greatest middleweights of all time.
#4. Michael Bisping - former UFC middleweight champion
Many thought UFC gold would evade Michael Bisping as he had come so close on so many occasions. However, in 2016, at the age of 37, Bisping finally won the big one and impressively went on to successfully defend his title. His long journey to the top started all the way back on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Competing at light heavyweight, Bisping finished all three of his opponents to claim the title of The Ultimate Fighter. His big personality made him a big hit with the fans and he was consistently involved in big fights from that point onwards. His lengthy run with the promotion saw him fight 29 times in the octagon.
His crowning moment came in his big upset win over Luke Rockhold that saw him finally claim middleweight gold. He became one of the biggest stars in the company and fought a who's who of big names in the sport.
#3. T.J. Dillashaw - former 2x UFC bantamweight champion
Ultimately, T.J. Dillashaw's legacy will be an interesting one, as despite his multiple title reigns, his failed drug test will likely not be forgotten in a hurry. With that being said, his talent is undeniable and he proved that, claiming bantamweight gold on two separate occasions and defending the belt on three occasions.
Dillashaw competed on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller, the fourteenth season of the show. He secured two finishes to enter the semi-final stage and secured his spot in the final with a one-sided unanimous decision. Shockingly, in the final he lost to John Dodson via TKO in the first round.
Eventually, Dillashaw made his way to the bantamweight title and won the belt, upsetting the reigning champion, Renan Barão. He would lose the belt, reclaim it and even challenge for the flyweight title against Henry Cejudo.
After being suspended due to his failed drug test, he made a successful return to the octagon last year. While he is currently injured, he is still a top contender to reckon with in the bantamweight division.
#2. Rose Namajunas - UFC women's strawweight champion
Another two-time UFC champion, Rose Namajunas, also came up just short of winning her season of The Ultimate Fighter. 'Thug Rose' took part in The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned. This was the twentieth season of the show and determined the promotion's inaugural women's strawweight champion.
Namajunas won three fights on the show to earn a title opportunity but ultimately lost to Carla Esparza in the final. She then strung together enough wins to take on the seemingly unbeatable Joanna Jedrzejczyk and pulled up a huge upset to win her first title.
While she would later lose the belt to Jessica Andrade, she avenged that loss and re-claimed her title in her next fight. Namajunas is the current champion, and given she is still just 29 years old, she has the potential to reign over the division for some time.
#1. Kamaru Usman - UFC welterweight champion
Kamaru Usman may now be the pound-for-pound favorite in the UFC but it was tough to predict after his Ultimate Fighter debut. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' took part in the 21st season of the show and only won his first-round match via a majority decision.
From there, Usman grew into the tournament, earning a unanimous decision in the semi-finals and a second-round submission win in the final. His winning streak in the octagon is yet to be snapped as he marched straight to the welterweight title which he won against Tyron Woodley.
Usman has successfully defended the belt five times since then and is now taking on a number of the division's top contenders for a second time. He is on his way to becoming an all-time great in the sport.
