'TUF 13' Coach Alternatives

Now that Cain Velasquez will sit on the shelf for a lengthy period of time while recovering from rotator cuff surgery, Junior dos Santos will have to wait for his title shot. Rather than keep dos Santos on the sidelines awaiting his meeting with Velasquez, he and former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar have been tagged as the coaches for the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter. Given the shift in momentum the heavyweight division received with the news of the injury, it’s a solid choice, despite Lesnar’s general inexperience.

Prior to the official announcement Dana White had expressed interest in a few other matches, including a pairing of Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar as well as Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres. While those ideas were brushed aside, it leaves one to contemplate potential quality coach matchups.

Keeping in mind the importance of skill, fan appeal and personality, I present to you a short list of worthy contenders for the position.

Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres:

This is an idea that should have blossomed into much more for Dana White. There’s no better way to truly introduce the lighter fighters to the public than a stint on Spike’s hit reality show. Both of these men tore through their divisions for years, toppling quality opposition, and doing so in memorable fashion. Both men possess endearing personalities; while Torres possesses the sharper tongue, Faber has already won plenty of fans over with his lighthearted, respectful demeanor. Torres would undoubtedly lean closer to the heel than Faber, but both men would make for excellent T.V.

Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos:

If we’re going with heavyweights, this would have been my personal pick. Carwin is back in the mix of things after a successful trip to the surgeon, and he could use some exposure in his journey back to title contention. A win over Junior dos Santos would certainly deposit him directly into the title picture. Given his exciting fighting style, it’s a marketable match that would determine a fair contender (not that dos Santos isn’t a legitimate contender, he’s more than deserving at this point, but he’s opted to take another fight and stay busy) to the title. The only problem is, a lack of personality could hurt ratings. Carwin isn’t exactly an animated character, and Junior is just a flat-out nice guy. I’m not personally for it, but we all know controversy, tension and heated exchanges attracts viewers.

Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar:

These gentlemen are already pretty well known to the public, but a run on TUF would only cast brighter light on the personalities of both men. While Gray’s already had some time in the TUF environment, he’s never experienced being on the coaching side of the ropes. It would be interesting to see Maynard share what he’s learned since being a contestant himself; he’d also provide some great air-headed statements. I’m telling you, quotables galore should these two have been chosen. Another plus to this is the prospect of getting to know Frankie Edgar a bit better. He’s come off as a classy guy at this point, but what happens when he’s faced with the tension fixed to the environment of The Ultimate Fighter?

Carlos Condit and Jake Shields:

Here’s a scenario I’d love to see: Condit’s bout with Lytle is scrapped, as is Shields’ upcoming clash with champion Georges St. Pierre; replacing Shields is Jon Fitch, who most likely will come up short - just as he did at UFC 87 - but is still a deserving challenger having now pieced together a five fight win streak. A rematch would offer Condit a chance at redeeming a 2006 unanimous decision defeat he suffered to Shields. It would also provide a much needed period of exposure for Shields, who many perceive as a boring fighter, and subsequently assume his personality matches his fighting style (I’ve met the man, he’s not a dull personality, trust me). Condit meanwhile is a mature but animated personality that would surely lead to some awesome lines. The winner stands a legitimate challenger to St. Pierre’s title.
 
Anthony Pettis and Clay Guida:

Pettis has already been pushed out of his immediate title shot following the controversial result of the second Edgar/Maynard bout. All indicators point to a meeting between these two in order to keep Pettis busy, while Guida may not be the most deserving contender were he to beat Pettis, he’d still sport a four fight win streak, and he’s damn near as marketable as they come. Both men hold a couple impressive wins on their résumé, and both are fan favorites. To add icing to the cake, they’ve both got fan friendly personalities that could carry a season of TUF. It may no be my top pick, but Guida/Pettis would make for entertaining television, and bring another WEC star to the UFC's forefront.