Garbrandt, Dillashaw to Fight After Coaching TUF

Cody Garbrandt will make his first title defense against former champion T.J. Dillashaw, and much of the fight’s buildup will play out on national television. The UFC announced that Garbrandt and Dillashaw will serve as rival coaches on a new season of The Ultimate Fighter ahead of their title fight.

The news was announced on the UFC Phoenix broadcast on Sunday night.

The season is being labeled The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption and will be comprised of welterweight fighters that previously competed on TUF, as well as one current UFC fighter. It will premiere on Wednesday, April 19.

No date has been set for the eventual fight between Garbrandt and Dillashaw.

Garbrandt won the title when he defeated Dominick Cruz at UFC 207 in December. On the same card, former champion T.J. Dillashaw dominated John Lineker and cemented his chance to fight for the belt he lost to Cruz in January.

The two bantamweights were former teammates before Dillashaw’s highly-publicized and controversial departure from Team Alpha Male in 2015. As Garbrandt has already begun making his animosity for Dillashaw clear, the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter will surely feature a lot of heat between the two rivals.