TLDR
- Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping will serve as opposing coaches for The Ultimate Fighter Season 34
- The show premieres June 14, 2026 on Paramount+ and features 16 bantamweight and women’s strawweight prospects
- Cormier becomes the first person to coach back-to-back TUF seasons in the show’s history
- Both coaches are returning for their third time leading teams on the reality competition series
- The 12-episode season will air new episodes every Tuesday following the premiere
Sources: mmajunkie.usatoday.com | mmamania.com | sports.yahoo.com
The Ultimate Fighter is returning for its 34th season with two UFC Hall of Famers leading opposing teams. Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping will serve as head coaches when the show premieres June 14, 2026 on Paramount+.
The UFC announced Thursday that the season will feature 16 fighters competing in two weight classes. Men’s bantamweights and women’s strawweights will battle for a spot on the UFC roster and a TUF championship.
The premiere date falls on the same day as a planned UFC event at the White House in Washington, D.C. After the June 14 debut, new episodes will stream each Tuesday for the remainder of the 12-episode season.
🚨 Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping have been announced as the coaches for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. (via @UFConParamount) pic.twitter.com/9pCtxVWObF
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) April 9, 2026
Cormier Makes TUF History
Cormier will make history as the first person to coach back-to-back seasons of The Ultimate Fighter. He just finished coaching Season 33 opposite Chael Sonnen in 2025.
This marks Cormier’s third time as a head coach on the show. He previously led a team during Season 27 when he faced off against Stipe Miocic.
The former two-division UFC champion held titles in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions during his fighting career. He now works as a regular analyst on UFC broadcasts.
Bisping Returns for Third Coaching Stint
Bisping also returns to the show for his third stint as head coach. The former middleweight champion previously coached Season 9 against Dan Henderson and Season 14 opposite Jason Miller.
Bisping has a unique connection to The Ultimate Fighter as a competitor as well. He won Season 3 of the show when he competed as a light heavyweight before eventually claiming the UFC middleweight title years later.
Like Cormier, Bisping is now retired from fighting and works regularly as a commentator for UFC events. Both coaches will not fight each other at the end of the season, which differs from earlier seasons of the show.
The Ultimate Fighter has produced numerous UFC champions throughout its history. Past winners who went on to claim UFC titles include Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, TJ Dillashaw, Robert Whittaker, Carla Esparza, and Rose Namajunas.
Paramount+ became the UFC’s new broadcast home at the start of 2026. Past seasons of The Ultimate Fighter will become available on the streaming platform beginning in late May.
The show faces competition from Dana White’s Contender Series, another UFC talent search program. The last Ultimate Fighter season to produce a future UFC champion was Season 21, which featured Kamaru Usman, who later won the welterweight title.
Cormier appears as a commentator at every major numbered UFC event. Bisping routinely calls UFC Fight Night events as part of the broadcast team.
