MONTREAL — Women’s MMA is about to get a lot more exposure.
Ronda Rousey will coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite the winner of Miesha Tate vs. Cat Zingano, and it will feature men’s and women’s 135-pound fighters in the same house.
UFC president Dana White made the announcement at the end of the UFC on FX preliminary fights broadcast for Saturday’s UFC 158 in Montreal.
This will be the first time the long-running reality show will feature female fighters in any capacity, and the new dynamic should make for an interesting show.
Rousey, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, has already shown to be a big draw for the organization after the defence of her belt against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 was a rousing success both in the media and at the gate.
White had already confirmed this week that Rousey’s next defend would be against the Tate-Zingano fight, which will take place on the TUF 17 finale on April 13 in Las Vegas.
Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen are the coaches of the current 17th season and will fight for the light-heavyweight belt on April 27 at UFC 159 in Newark, N.J.