- UFC president Dana White confirmed Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will be coaches at the upcoming TUF 31
- Date and location for McGregor vs. Chandler season finale fight to be announced
UFC president Dana White had just announced that Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will be coaching their respective teams in the new season of The Ultimate Fighter.
TUF 31 – Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler
Breaking the news on the UFC’s official social media accounts, White confirmed that McGregor and Chandler will be the coaches of the upcoming TUF 31. As always, the former champions will then face each other in the season’s finale with the date and location to be announced soon.
“We’ve just confirmed the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter season 31 – Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will go head-to-head as coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Team McGregor and Team Chandler. This season premiers Tuesday, May 30th and runs through Tuesday, August 15th on ESPN the network and ESPN+. Then, at the end of the season, McGregor and Chandler will fight live on ESPN+ pay-per-view. I do not have a date and location for that but we will announce it soon,” White said in the video.
McGREGOR vs CHANDLER IS CONFIRMED!!@TheNotoriousMMA and @MikeChandlerMMA will officially coach the next season of #TUF31! pic.twitter.com/effjf0Rg2M
— UFC (@ufc) February 4, 2023
A perfect matchup
Even before the announcement, many are already buzzing about McGregor vs. Chandler. In fact, “Iron” Mike has even imagined him and McGregor putting on an electrifying season finale match at TUF a few days ago.
As early as now, it’s easy to see that McGregor vs. Chandler was a perfect match to make, considering both were former champions and were once the biggest draws of their respective promotions.
McGregor has yet to secure a victory since 2020 and is coming off back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier. He suffered a horrible leg injury in his last fight at UFC 264 but has been vocal about his plans to become a champion once again.
Despite recent controversies, McGregor remains a highly sought-after and lucrative athlete, and is the main attraction in the UFC. However, in recent times, he has gained notoriety for his off-the-cage problems rather than his in-ring accomplishments.
The Irishman has once again been in the news, this time for an issue not related to his fighting profession. He is currently being investigated for the alleged attack on a woman on his yacht in Ibiza, Spain that occurred in July 2022. A spokesperson for McGregor has issued a statement denying the allegations.
On the other hand, Chandler has long been calling for a showdown with McGregor. The former Bellator champ is certain that fans will get the bang for their buck as he and “The Notorious” will surely try to dismantle each other inside the Octagon. Like McGregor, Chandler also lost to Poirier in his last fight at UFC 281.
