The Ultimate Fighter is back, and this time it’s featuring a new mix of rising talent under two familiar names. Season 34 of the long-running reality series will feature Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping as coaches, with the promotion revealing the lineup and weight classes ahead of the June premiere.

The show will debut on Paramount+ on June 14, the same night as the UFC’s White House event, and will feature bantamweights and women’s strawweights battling it out for a UFC contract. With 20 fighters split across the two divisions, the format remains true to its roots—fighters living and training together while battling through the bracket.

The bantamweight lineup is a mix of experienced fighters and unbeaten prospects. Rodrigo Vera (21-1-1), Abdul Hussein (15-2), and Mehemmedeli Osmanli (12-1) are the division’s bigger names, although unbeaten fighters like Marlon Jones (6-0) bring in the excitement.

Alongside them are Artem Belakh, Xavier Franklin, Sean Mora, Christian Strong, Micaias Ureña, and Illimbek Akylbek Uulu, all eager to capitalize on this opportunity.

On the women’s side, the strawweight division seems to be equally competitive. Natalia Alves (8-0) and Melissa Amaya (8-0) are undefeated contenders, while Valesca Machado (15-4) and Hailai Wushamo (10-2) bring crucial experience. GiGi Canuto, Anna Melisano, Mackenzie Stiller, Anita Karim, Delphine Benouaich, and Camila Reynoso complete the roster, resulting in a well-balanced mix of prospects and experienced fighters.

Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping are returning to the show for the third time as coaches. ‘DC’ returns after coaching Season 33, becoming the first to lead consecutive seasons, while Bisping—a former TUF winner—adds another chapter to his long history with the show.

While The Ultimate Fighter has traditionally started the careers of champions such as Forrest Griffin and Rose Namajunas, recent seasons have faced competition from newer platforms like Dana White’s Contender Series.

Still, with two Hall of Famers leading the charge and a fresh crop of fighters eager to prove themselves, Season 34 has the potential to reignite that original spark. However, the UFC may have made the mistake of skipping out on one good name, though, as Diego Brandao recently spoke out on his recent snub.

Diego Brandao reveals shallow reasoning behind UFC TUF snub

That hope of rekindling The Ultimate Fighter’s old magic also brings attention to who didn’t make the cut. As the current season focuses on new faces, former winner Diego Brandao has come forward, claiming he was overlooked despite doing everything expected of him to return.

The 38-year-old said that he had been working toward a UFC return for over a year, racking up wins in Tuff-N-Uff and ticking off every box. Coming off a three-fight winning streak and a victory over Kai Kamaka III, who had recently returned to the organization, Brandao felt he deserved his shot.

Instead, he claims he was told he couldn’t be on the show because of a decision made by Dana White that clearly didn’t sit well with him.

“They said to me, ‘Win this, win this.’ I win all of them,” he said on a video on his Instagram. “But, guess what? They hire the guys I beat. They thought I’m not going to be able to do it.”

With a reason like that, no wonder he’s questioning the direction the UFC is taking. For a former TUF winner who formerly competed in the Octagon alongside Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, the message feels less like rejection and more like a shift in priorities—one that values youth above experience.