Shock news has emerged from the first day of filming for TUF 18 with Miesha Tate being unveiled as the season’s coach opposite Ronda Rousey due to an injury to Cat Zingano.
Zingano had earned the right to the spot opposite current woman’s bantamweight champion Rousey after defeating Tate earlier in the year, but she injured her knee in training two weeks ago and it was serious enough that she was withdrawn from the show.
Dana White reported earlier this evening that Zingano has just undergone surgery for the knee issue and that it’s said to have gone well.
Rousey had been kept out of the loop with this developing situation so she was stunned when Tate arrived today for the first day of filming instead of Zingano and was said to have stormed out of the building looking for an explanation from the UFC president.
It’s a cruel twist of fate for Zingano who’s going to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime coaching on TUF, and indeed it appears that, at least for the time being, she’s also suffer a further blow in that she’ll now miss out on the next shot at the title which will go to Tate as well.
On the other hand, it’s fair to say that Rousey Vs Tate was the dream TUF match-up from the UFC’s perspective given that they already have an intense rivalry and that should make for good TV.
“For some reason, I think me and Miesha are intertwined in fate like Ali and Frazier,” Rousey told Yahoo! Sports today after the story broke.
Tate had originally been scheduled to fight Liz Carmouche at the next ‘UFC On FOX’ show, but that bout will no longer happen and it’s not clear if they’ll be looking to draft in another opponent to keep Carmouche on the main card or not.
The Ultimate Fighter 18 is set to premiere on it’s new television home on FOX Sports 1 starting on September 4th and for the first time ever will feature a cast of both male and female fighters who’ll all live in the TUF house together.
