LAS VEGAS (April 9, 2026) — The Ultimate Fighter® is back, and the iconic UFC reality series is returning with a high-stakes showdown between two of the sport’s most accomplished legends. UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping will go head-to-head as opposing coaches in the upcoming season, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Cormier vs. Team Bisping, premiering Sunday, June 14 exclusively on Paramount+.
The season debut will coincide with UFC Freedom 250, kicking off a 12-episode run with new episodes premiering every Tuesday following launch. The series will be available exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America, and Australia, giving fight fans worldwide front-row access to one of MMA’s most celebrated franchises.
This new chapter of The Ultimate Fighter will feature 16 rising prospects—men’s bantamweights (135 lbs.) and women’s strawweights (115 lbs.)—all competing for the opportunity to turn their UFC dreams into reality. As always, the pressure is high, the stakes are career-defining, and only the strongest will emerge.
Produced by Lionsgate Alternative Television, The Ultimate Fighter has played a pivotal role in the growth of UFC and mixed martial arts as a whole. Over the years, the series has introduced countless fans to the sport and launched the careers of many fighters who went on to become champions and global superstars. Alumni include Kamaru Usman, Tony Ferguson, T.J. Dillashaw, Rose Namajunas, Nate Diaz, Michael Chiesa, Kelvin Gastelum, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Uriah Hall, and Conor McGregor, who also served as a coach on Seasons 22 and 31.
Few coaches bring resumes as decorated as Daniel Cormier’s. One of only four fighters in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously, the former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion returns for his third stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, following his debut in Season 27. Known for his elite wrestling, fight IQ, and championship pedigree, Cormier plans to pass on the skills that earned him signature victories over Stipe Miocic, Anderson Silva, and Alexander Gustafsson. This time, his goal is clear: dominate his longtime rival from the coaching chair.
Standing opposite him is Michael Bisping, the Season 3 winner of The Ultimate Fighter and a figure whose career is inseparable from the show’s legacy. Now coaching for the third time, Bisping previously made his coaching debut in Season 14 and returns with the same grit, toughness, and sharp fight intelligence that carried him to the UFC middleweight championship. His résumé features memorable wins over Anderson Silva, Luke Rockhold, and Dan Henderson, and he now looks to outmaneuver Cormier and guide his team to victory.
Beyond the competition, Team Cormier vs. Team Bisping promises the signature blend of intense training, personal stories, and raw emotion that has defined The Ultimate Fighter for more than two decades. With two outspoken, fiercely competitive Hall of Famers leading the way, fireworks are guaranteed inside—and outside—the gym.
For fans looking to revisit the franchise’s storied past, previous seasons of The Ultimate Fighter will become available on Paramount+ beginning in late May, offering the perfect lead-in to this highly anticipated return.
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Cormier vs. Team Bisping premieres Sunday, June 14, exclusively on Paramount+, marking another must-watch moment in UFC history.
