Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans To Coach TUF 10

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How’s this for being thrown for a loop: Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans will serve as the coaches for the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter.

It was believed that Lyoto Machida would get the nod to face Jackson on the show after defeating Rashad Evans to win the light heavyweight championship last weekend at UFC 98. But Zuffa, fearing that Machida’s limited English-speaking skills would be detrimental to the show, decided to go in a different direction.

One plan being tossed around internally last weekend would have seen Randy Couture drop to light heavyweight and coach opposite Machida on the show. Couture’s August fight would have been canceled and he would have received the light heavyweight title shot on the December show. The company also briefly considered bringing back Tito Ortiz to coach against Rashad Evans.

Inside Fights contacted Machida’s manager Ed Soares for a comment on the story.  

“I don’t have much of a statement. I don’t really know why to be honest. They have their choices. It  doesn’t bother me. Lyoto is going back home today. He will see his family before getting ready to train for his next fight.”

When asked about Machida vs. Jackson title fight in September Soares said, “I’ve heard nothing about that, we will have to wait and see what happens. That sounds weird to me.”

“All I know is that Machida is not going to be a coach.”