5 most memorable fights between TUF coaches in UFC history

#4: Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Claudia Gadelha – TUF 23 Finale

Joanna Jedrzejczyk's fight with Claudia Gadelha is widely seen as one of the best female fights in UFC history.

For a long time. the UFC strawweight title fight between TUF 23 coaches Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha was probably the greatest women’s fight in UFC history. That has arguably been surpassed in recent years, though.

The two women were bitter rivals, and their dislike shone throughout their stint as TUF coaches. That made the 23rd season one of the more watchable in the latter years of the reality show. The two women promised a war, and when they got into the octagon, they delivered.

Coming into the fight, the general consensus was that the champion Jedrzejczyk would have a big advantage standing. That was because she had beaten Gadelha previously, largely by using her kickboxing. However, fans were stunned when ‘Claudinha’ dropped the Polish fighter with a short right hand in the opening exchanges, giving her a huge early advantage.

From there, the two women went toe-to-toe for most of the five-round clash, with Gadelha largely dominating the first and second rounds. However, her cardio began to fail her as the fight ticked on, allowing the champion a way back into the fight. As the Brazilian slowed, Jedrzejczyk seemed to get stronger, with her nasty combination striking hurting the challenger on numerous occasions.

Although she couldn’t put Gadelha away, once the fight ended, there was no question that Jedrzejczyk was the clear winner. She retained her title via unanimous decision. But nobody had pushed her quite like ‘Claudinha’ as the two TUF coaches settled their rivalry with a stone-cold classic fight.

---

#3: Justin Gaethje vs. Eddie Alvarez – UFC 218

Eddie Alvarez's fight with Justin Gaethje was just as wild as UFC fans hoped it would.

The bloom was largely off the TUF by the time the 26th season of the reality show took place in 2017. Despite that season seeing the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight champion crowned, the truth is that few UFC fans outside real hardcores cared all that much.

However, the fight between coaches Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje was a highly anticipated one. Despite not having a bitter rivalry per se, the two lightweight contenders had built reputations as being two of the most exciting fighters in UFC history. That promised a throwdown for the ages. And at UFC 218, the two fighters didn’t disappoint.

The excellent wrestling prowess of both fighters essentially cancelled the prospect of takedowns. The fight largely took place almost entirely standing, and saw both men take some huge strikes.

Gaethje arguably came out strongest early on, landing some heavy leg kicks in an attempt to chop Alvarez down. But it quickly became clear that ‘The Underground King’ was the slightly cleaner boxer. He landed the heavier punches to the head, but also began to work Gaethje’s body, something that paid off rich dividends.

Once the fight ticked into the third round, both men had eaten up plenty of damage. ‘The Highlight’ was beginning to show signs that Alvarez’s body work had taken its toll. He slowed down dramatically, and despite hurting Alvarez with an uppercut, he ate a nasty knee that sent him crashing to the ground.

Alvarez followed up with some punches on the mat, and with Gaethje not really defending, the fight was stopped there. However, this was one of those rare fights where neither man really felt like a loser. Alvarez and Gaethje had promised to put on a classic war, and they delivered, making TUF 26 well worth it in the end.