Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz admit that much of the ill will that was simmering between the mixed martial artists since 2007 was squashed after their July matchup, a unanimous decision that went to Cruz.

If the two opposite personalities were in the same room for long, sparks probably would fly again.

That's what the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the reality show producers of "The Ultimate Fighter" on the FX Network hope for as Faber and Cruz each will coach half of the latest group of fighters looking to earn a UFC contract.

It all leads up to Cruz defending his bantamweight title against Faber again in mid-2012 at a location to be determined.

"Man, I'm so tired of talking about how much Urijah and I hate each other," Cruz said by telephone from his home in San Diego. "We got all that out of our system in July. I never hated Urijah. We just have different personalities, and later next year we'll prove once and for all who is the king of this division."

The bad blood began before a 2007 bout Faber won easily. It's still Cruz's only loss as a professional.

Faber said he felt disrespected by Cruz, who claimed the same, although he said his beef was more with the World Extreme Cagefighting organization than with Faber.

In July, Cruz was more active in the fifth and final round of the rematch in Las Vegas and won the unanimous decision, one Faber disputes.

The rubber match of the "trilogy," as Faber calls their series of matches, will be the culmination of the reality show's 15th installment that first aired in January 2005.

"The Ultimate Fighter" moves from Spike TV to FX this season. For the first time, the program will feature live fights on Fridays following the March 9 two-hour season premiere.

"This season is going to be great," said Faber, who returned to Sacramento just before Christmas after spending a week in Italy on a USO tour. "Having live fights will build interest, and it will be interesting to see how (Cruz) and I get along. I don't hate Cruz. But I also don't like him."

Faber and Cruz will coach lightweights and welterweights. Both said coaching bigger fighters will pose no problems. Fighting is fighting and the techniques are the same, they said, even if their coaching styles differ.

Both admitted they are not afraid to offer plenty of constructive criticism. Faber said he won't get in anyone's face. Cruz said he has no problem doing so if needed.

Faber said he's excited to coach the heavier weights and perhaps persuade a few of those fighters to join his Team Alpha Male, the MMA squad he has built that includes Chad Mendes, Joseph Benavidez and Sacramento's Danny Castillo and T.J. Dillashaw, who became a standout last season on "The Ultimate Fighter."

Faber and Cruz, who know how to rile each other, likely will scrap over who gets which fighter on his team.

"I'm not under his skin," Faber said. "He's under his own skin. He always has this chip on his shoulder, always complaining. All I do is call him out on it."

The producers of "The Ultimate Fighter" are counting on it.

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Mark Billingsley covers mixed martial arts for The Bee. Reach him at editorwriter@att.net.

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