“Conor’s gonna get some things that he wants.”
A bit of controversy has already brewed even before the premiere of the upcoming Ultimate Fighter season. UFC superstar Conor McGregor, who will serve as one of the coaches opposite Michael Chandler, was accused of removing some aspiring cast members to make way for his own fighters. McGregor has since denied such claims.
UFC president Dana White sees no big deal about said rumors, while also admitting that “The Notorious” does get some special treatment.
“I have no idea. Who gives a shit?” White told the media during the UFC Vegas 70 media scrum on Saturday.
“These stories that come out of these things… heard something earlier tonight, too. We’re working on all this stuff, and you’re trying to get guys to commit to coach… to do the coaching commitment. Especially if you live in Ireland, yeah, Conor’s gonna get some things that he wants.”
White also stated that no fighter missed any opportunities to further their careers, while also assuring that they will all be taken care of.
“Nobody lost an opportunity here. If there were guys that were booked to do that, we’ll do something with them… It’s not just like, ‘Hey, see you later, pal. Good luck to ya. Have a good life.’ We’ll figure it out, we’ll take care of these guys.”
TUF 31 premieres this May. McGregor and Chandler are scheduled to face each other sometime after the season ends its six-week run.
About the author: Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments. (full bio)