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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The next season of The Ultimate Fighter begins filming soon, with heavyweights Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson squaring off as coaches on the program. Both will be bringing in their own coaching staffs to work with the fighters who ultimately end up on their respective teams, but in Nelson's case at least, there are a few names who will not be allowed during production.
On his Facebook page this weekend, Nelson posted a note regarding his string of coaches who he hopes to bring in to the gym at some point during the taping of the show, and noted that a the UFC isn't allowing some of them. The names banned from production, according to Nelson? Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, Victor Conte, and Kurt Angle. Here's what Nelson wrote:
"Here are my Assistant/Guest Coaches the non-UFC coaches will be helping but not on the set because they are black, criminals, white, Olympian, Great TV ... (disclaimer I have [no] idea, just opinion). NON-UFC ALLOWED: Muhammed Lawal, Kurt Angle, Victor Conte. UFC ALLOWED: Royce Gracie, James Johnson, Jeff Mayweather, George St-Pierre, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen, Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Martin Kampmann, Amir Sadollah, Mike Pyle, Gray Maynard, Ron Frazier, Anthony Brown. I am a student first, teacher second. [Let's] give these kids an opportunity of a life time. A UFC SUPER CAMP"
Penick's Analysis: The UFC banning those three names from their tapings isn't really surprising. Lawal and Angle are Spike-TV affiliated through TNA Wrestling (and Bellator, in Lawal's case), and Conte's a very controversial figure who has been outspoken against the UFC and their stance and handling of drug testing in the sport. Now, if he still gets in the rest of the names on that list, it's going to be one hell of an opportunity for the fighters who are on his team, as it will be a "super camp" type atmosphere. That doesn't necessarily mean it will be the most beneficial through the course of the show as far as fighters being on track for win after win, but they'll all have a chance to gain some knowledge from a lot of different sources in a short time period. That's something they'll be able to take away from the show regardless of where they end up or how they perform during the season.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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