For the first time in 8 years, Conor McGregor is back on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.
From TUF 22 To TUF 31
The former two-division UFC Champion made his debut on the UFC’s reality TV show back in 2015, where he and ex-WEC king Urijah Faber were coaches on the twenty-second season. McGregor didn’t end up facing Faber inside the Octagon, but the two had a very memorable rivalry on their ‘TUF’ run.
Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter looks to be another doozy from the previews as McGregor’s friction with opposing coach (and next opponent) Michael Chandler seems to be in full effect.
Faber Offers Chandler Advice, Reveals Convo With Conor
While Faber (thankfully) didn’t get his face shoved by McGregor, ‘The Notorious’ definitely played mind games with him as he is currently doing with Chandler. Faber would give ‘Iron’ Mike some advice on how to deal with this along with some insight on the show’s latest season.
“Chandler and I are pretty different guys and they’re gonna have a much different relationship than Conor and I,” Faber told ESPN. “I would just say the same advice I’d give anybody, be yourself and stand your the ground and things will play out the way they do.”
“I think they’re gonna be heated, they are actually fighting and they’re gonna have a lot of build up. When I spoke to Conor about this situation, he said this season is different because he was coming off of his first big payday and his first world championship. This time he’s focused on making this his camp. So I think he’s gonna be a little more on edge, to be honest.”
Faber Locks In Prediction For McGregor vs. Chandler
If McGregor is indeed ‘more on edge’ than he was back in 2015, Urijah Faber believes his old rival will triumph over Michael Chandler in his comeback fight.
“Man, traditionally in the past [like] old school MMA, I would’ve said the high level wrestler is always gonna win. But Conor, I feel, closes those gaps a lot,” Faber said, when asked for his prediction. “I think Chandler takes a lot of big risk and likes to fight wild and aggressive.
“I’ve seen many times where Conor’s power is just too much and his precision’s too much. And I think it’s gonna be in a five round fight, [I’m] leaning towards McGregor.”
Season 31 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ will premiere on May 30th and will be available to stream with a ESPN+ subscription.
