Rener Gracie, Craig Jones to Serve as Coaches on The Ultimate Fighter

Jiu-jitsu will be well-represented on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. Elite no-gi competitor Craig Jones will serve as a coach for Alexander Volkanovski’s team, while Rener Gracie will serve as a coach on Brian Ortega’s team. The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 is set to air sometime this summer.

A member of the famed Danaher Death Squad and an ADCC silver medalist, Craig Jones is one of the best no-gi competitors in the world. He last competed in February when he quickly submitted Ronaldo Junior at Who’s Number One. He was scheduled to return to action on April 30 to face Tye Ruotolo, but was forced to withdraw due to health concerns.

Rener Gracie is the head instructor of Gracie University and one of the most recognizable figures in jiu-jitsu. He is the son of Rorion Gracie, and although he does not have a deep competition resume, he is widely respected as a coach and instructor. Gracie has long been associated with Ortega as one of his original coaches.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 will feature current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and top contender Brian Ortega. At some point after the show airs, Ortega and Volkanovski will square off for Volkanovski’s title.

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and currently holds the rank of brown belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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