Spike TV on Monday announced that Ultimate Fighting Championship interim heavyweight titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former champion Frank Mir will be the coaches for the eight season of The Ultimate Fighter.
The season, which premiers on Spike TV on Sept. 17, will return to the two-weight class format. It features light heavyweight (205-pound) and lightweight (155-pound) fighters. Production on season eight begins in late May, with the entire cast to be announced in September.
Nogueira and Mir, after serving as coaches, will meet in an as-of-yet unannounced pay-per-view event for the title.
Nogueira earned the interim championship designation by defeating former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia at UFC 81 in February. He finished the fight with a strong comeback effort, choking Sylvia out early in the third round.
At that same event, Mir continued his return to the sport with a first round knee bar submission of former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar. Mir has held the UFC championship in the past, breaking Sylvia’s arm with a submission hold en route to the title. This will be his first title shot since returning from a devastating motorcycle accident that nearly endangered his life, and nearly ended his career.
