Exclusive: Mike Goldberg explains why 'The Ultimate Fighter' is "very special" under format of coaches fighting at end of the season

Mike Goldberg recently explained why 'The Ultimate Fighter' is much better when the opposing coaches fight at the end of the season rather than coaching on the show. He noted that some of the greatest UFC rivalries have been showcased on the show and belives it added more intrigue for viewers.

The upcoming season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' will be experimenting with a different format as coach Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, who are both retired, won't be fighting at the end of the season. In the past, the promotion would use the show to help build new stars, and at the same time, build more anticipation and selling the opposing coaches fighting.

During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, former longtime voice of the UFC, Mike Goldberg weighed in on Cormier and Sonnen coaching the upcoming season of 'TUF' and passing on their knowledge. Goldberg mentioned that he prefers the previous format because it resulted in some of the greatest episodes and seasons in the show's history:

"I believe the climax of the two coaches fighting at the end when they have teams fighting each other week after week after week is very special... Any time you see people sharing their knowledge and passing it on to the next generation, it's amazing... But I do miss the opportunity to watch the rivalry get built up more, to see the hatred reach an all time high."

Check out the full exclusive interview featuring Mike Goldberg's comments below [22:55]:

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Mike Goldberg says Diego Sanchez was overshadowed by Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar's classic bout

Mike Goldberg also reflected on working play-by-play for 'The Ultimate Fighter' season one finale and said that Diego Sanchez was overshadowed by Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar's classic bout.

During the aforementioned exclusive, Goldberg mentioned that Sanchez was overshadowed because of how easily he defeated Kenny Florian and recalled conversations with 'The Nightmare' in the years that followed:

"1000 percent [Sanchez was overshadowed]... I used to go around and say, 'Forrest Griffin, the original Ultimate Fighter'. And Diego would tease me a lot and be like, 'Goldie, what are you talking about, dude?... I beat Kenny before Forrest and Stephan fought'... And we would laugh about it but the fact of the matter is knowing Diego like we all do, he was a little bit serious." [16:54]

Check out highlights from Diego Sanchez's stint on 'The Ultimate Fighter' below: