the ultimate fighter black logoIt was announced on Saturday night prior to UFC 158 that UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey would be a coach on the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, and that season would also be the first time that female fighters will be contestants on the show. The show will also feature men as competitors which will be the first time that men and women will be living in the TUF house at the same time.

The winner of the upcoming Miesha Tate-Cat Zingano fight that’s set to take place at the TUF 17 Finale in April will be the opposing coach and will fight Ronda Rousey for the UFC women’s bantamweight title later this year.

Tryouts for season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter will take place on Monday, April 15 in Las Vegas, Nev. All TUF 18 candidates must be at least 21 years old, have the legal ability to live & work in the United States, and have a minimum of three professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights – holding a winning record (with verifiable records).

Tryout details will be released on Monday, March 18. TUF 18 is expected to debut in the fall of 2013 and will feature male and female bantamweights (135 lbs).

Meanwhile, tickets for season 17’s The Ultimate FighterFinale are on-sale now. To purchase tickets to the April 13th event at Mandalay Bay Events Center, or for more information, visit the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com, or charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000.

Catch all new episodes of this season of The Ultimate Fighter 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

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