No coaching rivalry for TUF Nations' Kyle Noke, but country vs. country adds flare

After the fireworks of “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” the latest season of “TUF” has been pretty tame for the coaches.

That’s not a bad thing for Kyle Noke (20-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who’s led a squad of hopefuls from his native Australia opposite a Canadian squad led by Patrick Cote (19-8 MMA, 6-8 UFC) on “The Ultimate Fighter: Nations,” which wraps up in less than two weeks.

“I think me and Patrick both had the same idea going into the show that we’re going to make it about the fighters and not about us,” Noke told MMAjunkie. “We never had any beef between us the whole time, and I think we did a good job of making it about the fighters.”

The coaches will nevertheless get in the octagon beside the up-and-comers when they headline The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale, which takes place April 16 at Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The event’s main card airs live on Fox Sports 1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

While Noke isn’t going in the cage to settle a score, he might be fighting for the pride of his nation, not to mention the countrymen he shepherded during the show.

“There’s no rivalry at all, really, but if you’re going to put two countries against each other, they’re going to compete, so whether they like each other or hate each other, it’s country vs. country,” he said.

The Aussie vs. Canuck angle might not be the rivalry it was touted to be by the promotion, but Noke said that fire did help to make the fights exciting. Noke said he was caught up in the fates of his students, just as most coaches of the reality show are, but the added context added more fuel to the fire.

“It definitely motivated me more, just the country versus country aspect of this Ultimate Fighter,” he said. “It puts a little more pressure on me, but I think the pressure is a privilege. It makes me work harder and train harder, so I’m excited to get in there and fight Patrick. Watching all these guys fight was motivating for me.”

Noke, who first emerged on the international stage on “The Ultimate Fighter 11,” makes his second appearance at welterweight following a two-fight skid at middleweight, where he implied he was at a size disadvantage. His current UFC record stands at 4-2.

“I feel just as big as I was at middleweight, so now, I’m stronger and faster,” he said.

Speed might come in handy against Cote, who like Noke is in his 12th year as a pro MMA fighter. Unlike Noke, “The Predator” has been competing in the UFC for almost 10 years and already has lost one bid for a UFC belt at middleweight.

Noke’s goodwill toward Cote means he’s not exactly ready to declare Cote ready for the retirement home, but one might take a hint that he’s the one who will be using the cliche “stepping stone” with a win.

“I think he’s probably he’s in the best shape he’s been,” Noke said. “He was bad at 205 (pounds). That wasn’t his weight class, 185 is a little bit closer, and I think now at 170, he’s now at his weight class. I think he’s ready to make the best run he can.”

For more on the TUF Nations Finale, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.