Anderson Silva & Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua Named As Coaches Of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 With A Twist

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Today, the UFC officially announced that two of Brazilian’s biggest stars will now serve as coaches to find the next.

Former middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will be the new coaches on the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter which airs on the Globo network.

The twist is that unlike most seasons of TUF, the coaches will not fight at the end of the season. The filming has also been scheduled around Rua’s upcoming fight against Ovince St. Preux and Silva’s return fight against Nick Diaz.

“A lot of people were worried we’d never see Anderson Silva back in the UFC. But, not only is he back in the Octagon on January 31 at UFC 183, he’s coaching TUF for the very first time,” UFC President Dana White said in a statement. “Anderson Silva is as committed to the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts than he’s ever been, and I cannot wait to see one of the greatest of all time pass his knowledge on to a new generation of Brazilian fighters. And if there’s any Brazilian fighter who can go up against Anderson as a coach, it’s Shogun. Shogun Rua has done everything in the sport and if he trains his team to fight in the same attacking style he’s always used, Anderson’s team is in for one hell of a season.”

For their part, the two fighters also seemed excited about their new roles.

“I think I can offer this next generation of Brazilian talent real insight into what it takes to succeed in the UFC,” Anderson Silva said in a statement. “I will bring everything I know about the martial arts, and my own values of what it means to be a martial artist, to my team.”

“To coach on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil is a dream come true, and an opportunity I wanted for a long time,” Rua said. “To have my team compete against a team coached by a legend and former training partner like Anderson Silva makes it even better. Me and Anderson go a long way, training together back when we were both aiming to be stars, and to do this with him now on the biggest platform and having a chance to show people what MMA is really about is just amazing.”