Tag: TUF

Conor McGregor one loss away from first clean sweep in TUF History: ‘It’s never happened before’

Conor McGregorConor McGregor’s TUF team is one fight away from making history on the long-running reality series. The Irishman is on the verge of becoming the first coach in The Ultimate Fighter history to suffer a clean sweep after teammate Landon Quinones suffered a submission loss to Team Chandler’s Jason Knight. Conor McGregor is now 0-7 […]

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor’s TUF team is one fight away from making history on the long-running reality series.

The Irishman is on the verge of becoming the first coach in The Ultimate Fighter history to suffer a clean sweep after teammate Landon Quinones suffered a submission loss to Team Chandler’s Jason Knight. Conor McGregor is now 0-7 with only one quarter-final contest left. Should Michael Chandler’s crew run the table, it will be the first sweep since the show debuted nearly two decades ago.

During this week’s broadcast, cameras caught Dana White speaking to a producer, questioning what would happen should Team Chandler complete the clean sweep next week. “Well, it’s never happened before,” he said in response.

More than likely, members of Team Chandler would need to switch teams for the next round of matchups.

Conor McGregor’s frustration reached a boiling point during episode six after his SBG Ireland teammate Lee Hammond suffered a heartbreaking submission loss to Kurt Holobaugh. Immediately following the fight, McGregor and his opposing coach traded verbal jabs inside the Octagon with the Irishman taking a dig at Chandler’s time in Bellator before signing with the UFC. Chandler snapped back, questioning McGregor’s dedication to his team, referencing his lack of presence throughout various points of filming.

That infuriated McGregor who stepped up to Chandler and proceeded to violently shove the former Bellator champion across the ring. McGregor took off his jacket and looked ready for a fight until Dana White rushed into the Octagon and prevented things from escalating further.

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler were expected to scrap inside the Octagon near the end of 2023 once The Ultimate Fighter 31 is in the books. However, the Irishman has not yet re-entered the USADA testing pool for a required six months screening, leaving the bout in doubt. Despite that, Dana White remains confident that McGregor vs. Chandler will happen and believes it could still occur in 2023.

Conor McGregor mocks Michael Chandler in Twitter audio clip following viral TUF shove: ‘Oh, we’re gonna do this’

Conor McGregorConor McGregor resorted to mocking ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler following his sixth-straight loss on The Ultimate Fighter. The Irishman’s team is yet to win a single bout against Chandler’s crew on the latest season of the long-running reality series. McGregor nearly scored his first victory on this week’s episode as teammate Lee Hammond appeared to be […]

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor resorted to mocking ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler following his sixth-straight loss on The Ultimate Fighter.

The Irishman’s team is yet to win a single bout against Chandler’s crew on the latest season of the long-running reality series. McGregor nearly scored his first victory on this week’s episode as teammate Lee Hammond appeared to be in complete control during his scrap with Kurt Holobaugh. Mere minutes away from a victory, Hammond gave up his neck during a scramble and found himself on the wrong side of a guillotine choke, forcing him to tap out. The loss left McGregor understandably dejected and led to what has become one of the series’ most viral moments.

With Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler standing inside the Octagon following the bout, tempers quickly flared. The Irishman violently shoved Chandler across the cage and proceeded to take off his jacket, seemingly preparing for a fight. UFC President Dana White quickly rushed in, asking Chandler and his team to exit the area.

Following the broadcast, McGregor took to social media and mocked Chandler in an audio note.

“‘Oh, we’re gonna do this,’” McGregor said, imitating Chandler in a since-deleted audio clip on Twitter. “‘We’re gonna fight right now?We’re gonna fight right now? We’re gonna do this? We’re gonna fight right now?”

Michael Chandler Looks Back on Intense Moment with Conor McGregor

Michael Chandler shared his take on the intense moment with Conor McGregor and admitted that getting shoved by the Irishman came as quite a surprise.

“It went from zero to 100 very quickly,” Chandler told ESPN’s “After TUF” post-show. “To be honest with you, I didn’t expect it. Obviously, we’re ready to protect ourselves at all times. The first thing was, ‘Holy cow, okay, he just put his hands on me. What’s about to happen? Is he in my space?’ But obviously, he backed up. I obviously got pushed back, and we both kind of started walking towards the center of the cage.”

Chandler continued. “He starts taking off his coat, and I’m like, ‘Okay, what? We’re going to fight right here?’ Obviously you never quite know what’s going to happen,” Chandler continued. “We’re on a reality show, but it’s also two dudes who want to fight each other. So I was ready for anything, and obviously, I was ready to fight right there if we had to, but let’s be honest: We’re on a reality show” (h/t MMA Mania).

Following the loss, Conor McGregor is an embarrassing 0-6 during his stint as a coach this season with only two quarter-final fights left. If McGregor can’t get one of his fighters into the win column within the next couple of weeks, it’s going to be Team Chandler competing against one another in the next two rounds.

Originally, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler were scheduled to scrap inside the Octagon once their stint as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter ends. Unfortunately, that is looking less likely with each passing day as McGregor is yet to re-enter the USADA testing pool for a required six months of pre-fight screening.

Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson marvels at the size of Conor McGregor following TUF stint: ‘Damn, he’s massive!’

WonderboyStephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson was undeniably impressed by the size of Conor McGregor during his brief appearance on the latest season of TUF. Thompson had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Irishman during his guest appearance on The Ultimate Fighter earlier this year. Thompson worked alongside McGregor during his brief stint on […]

Wonderboy

Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson was undeniably impressed by the size of Conor McGregor during his brief appearance on the latest season of TUF.

Thompson had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Irishman during his guest appearance on The Ultimate Fighter earlier this year. Thompson worked alongside McGregor during his brief stint on the long-running reality series, helping the former champ-champ develop his team of up-and-coming UFC hopefuls. Before departing from the set, Thompson snapped a picture with McGregor that had MMA fans going crazy as the Irish lightweight appeared to be significantly bigger than ‘Wonderboy’ who regularly competes at welterweight.

During a recent appearance on The Breakdown, Thompson revealed that the image is a little deceptive but was still admittedly impressed by McGregor’s size.

“I put it out there the nicest way I can [for a McGregor fight], but it just never happened,” Thompson said. Conor McGregor, he’s big for his weight, for sure…is he a natural 170? No…

“We took a picture together, and I noticed he was inching forward. I was like, ‘Damn, he’s massive!’…I don’t care if you’re a lawyer or what. If you enter the gym, he’s gonna size you up” (h/t MMA News).

What’s Next for Conor McGregor and ‘Wonderboy’ After Working Together on TUF?

Conor McGregor has not stepped foot inside the Octagon since a disastrous July 2021 trilogy bout with lightweight rival Dustin Poirier. McGregor suffered a leg break near the end of the opening round, an injury he is yet to return from. Currently, McGregor can be seen coaching on The Ultimate Fighter opposite fellow lightweight fan favorite ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. The two high-octane scrappers were slated to square off later this year in McGregor’s highly anticipated return, but as time marches on, it seems less and less likely that the Irishman will strap on the four-ounce gloves anytime soon.

‘Wonderboy’ is set to make his own return to the Octagon on July 29 when the promotion heads back to Salt Lake City for UFC 291. Thomspon will take part in the festivities as he faces the always-entertaining Michel Pereira. Thompson will look to make it two in a row after scoring a fourth-round TKO against Kevin Holland in December.

EXCLUSIVE – Stephen Thompson says bulked-Up Conor McGregor is ‘Not a true welterweight’

Stephen Thompson claims Conor McGregor isn't a real welterweight he makes himself look bigger UFCStephen Thompson does not consider Conor McGregor a legitimate welterweight after the Irishman spent much of his last two years putting on muscle mass. ‘Wonderboy’ had the opportunity to train alongside McGregor while filming the latest season of the UFC’s long-running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter. Scheduled to begin airing on May 30, TUF 31 […]

Stephen Thompson claims Conor McGregor isn't a real welterweight he makes himself look bigger UFC

Stephen Thompson does not consider Conor McGregor a legitimate welterweight after the Irishman spent much of his last two years putting on muscle mass.

‘Wonderboy’ had the opportunity to train alongside McGregor while filming the latest season of the UFC’s long-running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter. Scheduled to begin airing on May 30, TUF 31 will feature the former two-division champion coaching opposite his next opponent inside the Octagon, ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. No official date has been revealed for his highly anticipated return, but the Irishman recently suggested December is the likeliest scenario.

McGregor will be joined by Stephen Thompson on the series who will appear as a guest coach. In a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Stephen Thompson shared some details during his time filming the new season and how it all came about.

“So I was out there doing the Jose Cuervo commercial [with Kevin Holland] and we had just got done filming and me and my brother were on the way home,” Stephen Thompson said. “We stopped to get some lunch with one of our managers and we were getting ready to head to the airport and then Conor ends up calling up. ‘Hey, we want Stephen to stick around for a guest coach.’ I’m like, ‘Say no more. I’m coming in.’ So it was really cool. It was a cool experience.”

Stephen Thompson discredits Conor McGregor as “real” welterweight

With practically every fighter under the sun calling out Conor McGregor at one time or another, it would probably be more efficient to make a list of fighters who haven’t called for a fight with the Irishman. ‘Wonderboy’ would be one of the few names on that list. Asked if he had ever considered calling out McGregor for a clash inside the Octagon, Stephen Thompson admitted that he has, but does not believe that McGregor is a true welterweight despite his significant increase in muscle mass.

“He’s not a true welterweight,” Stephen Thompson said. “Most of the guys I fight, they walk around over 200 pounds. [Conor] looks bigger, but he’s like 185. He’s not as heavy as… Not a big guy.”

‘Wonderboy’ even revealed one of Conor McGregor’s secrets to looking bigger on camera, particularly when standing next to another fighter.

“We were with him and he knows when the camera turns on. It’s like telepathy. He turns on his persona. We take a picture together and we’re in our fighting stance and he inches forward so when you look at the picture, he looks so much bigger than me. He knows how to do it.”

Though no official announcement has been made, Conor McGregor’s fight with Michael Chandler is expected to take place at welterweight, eliminating a potentially gruelling weight cut for both fighters.

Michael Chandler shares details on filming TUF alongside Conor McGregor: ‘It’s a constant intense scenario’

Michael Chandler Conor McGregor TUF 31 WildcardIron’ Michael Chandler wants to be better than Conor McGregor in every conceivable way. The two lightweight superstars are currently in the middle of filming the 31st season of the UFC’s popular reality series, The Ultimate Fighter. Expected to air between May and August, the show will feature Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor as opposing […]

Michael Chandler Conor McGregor TUF 31 Wildcard

Iron’ Michael Chandler wants to be better than Conor McGregor in every conceivable way.

The two lightweight superstars are currently in the middle of filming the 31st season of the UFC’s popular reality series, The Ultimate Fighter. Expected to air between May and August, the show will feature Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor as opposing coaches before their inevitable scrap inside the Octagon later this year. Taking a moment away from filming, ‘Iron’ spoke with Oscar Willis of TheMACLife to share some details on the process.

“The experience has been a lot of fun,” Chandler said. “A  lot more work than I ever thought it was going to be. I thought I was going to come here, run some practices, and try to beat Conor in this competition. Turns out, I want all of these guys to win these fights so much more than I want to beat Conor. It’s a lot of work. Pouring into these guys both physically with all the practices and then I’ve got all the interviews. Just the time spent with them, trying to get them to their goal of getting that UFC contract.

“Me and Conor, we’re just competitors. He came here to win. I came here to win. We take this personally. We both want to win so it’s been a few ups and a few downs. It’s been a lot of fun to be here on camera and on microphone nonstop for the last month.”

Michael Chandler on the Tense and Competitive Environment on the TUF Set

Michael Chandler went on to discuss the environment while filming The Ultimate Fighter, noting the consistently building tension as they get closer to the final day of filming and their highly anticipated showdown.

“You’re just trying to wade through all of your different emotions throughout this entire thing while you’re also in the presence of the guy you’re going to fight,” Chandler continued. “Who you’re also competing against. Right now you’re competing on a reality show. You’re competing for your fighters, but you know that every single inch that you take is starting the battleground. 

“It’s a constant intense scenario. Me and Conor want to win this thing. I want to beat him in every single fight. I want to beat him in the competition. I want to be a better coach than him. I want to be a better everything than him and he wants to be the exact same thing. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s gonna be great TV because Conor and I, we’re here to win a show. We’re here to do what we said we were going to do.”

With the show set to wrap filming in the near future and an expected air date through August, Michael Chandler hopes he won’t have to wait too long before stepping inside the cage with ‘The Notorious’ this fall. Chandler also commented on the potential weight class, stating that both he and Conor McGregor would prefer the bout to be contested at 170-pounds rather than their typical 155-pound setting.

“It ends in August, it would make sense for us to fight not too far after that. September, October. It’s been said to be that it should be sometime this fall, but it depends on where Conor is and when he’s ready to come back. Obviously, I want Conor at his biggest and his baddest, and his best. I would like it at 170. It’s well-documented that he wants it at 170. I want him to be 100% healthy.

“I’ve seen him, obviously. Physically moving around and stuff, it looks like his leg has healed which is great to hear. He deserves to come back 100% and we give the world what they deserve and that’s a knockdown drag-out war on pay-per-view later on this year.”

Watch: Conor McGregor works with Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson on The Ultimate Fighter

Conor McGregorConor McGregor looks to be getting some help from another elite striker on the set of The Ultimate Fighter. The Notorious’ is currently in the middle of filming the 31st season of the long-running reality series opposite rival coach and eventual Octagon opponent ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. In order to get his team, and himself in […]

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor looks to be getting some help from another elite striker on the set of The Ultimate Fighter.

The Notorious’ is currently in the middle of filming the 31st season of the long-running reality series opposite rival coach and eventual Octagon opponent ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. In order to get his team, and himself in the best possible shape for their matchups, McGregor appears to be getting some assistance from two-time UFC welterweight title challenger, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

In a video clip uploaded by UFC on BT Sport on Twitter courtesy of the Irish superstar himself, McGregor can be seen delivering a striking instructional to his TUF team members with the aid of Thomspon.

Conor McGregor Returning to Lightweight for Fight with Michael Chandler per Dana White

The newest season of The Ultimate Fighter is scheduled to begin airing in late May and is expected to run through August. Following the completion of the season, Conor McGregor will step back into the Octagon to square off with Michael Chandler. Originally reported to be contested in the welterweight division, Dana White recently confirmed that the fight will in fact happen at lightweight, something Chandler was none too happy about after initial reports indicated it would be at 170 pounds.

As for Stephen Thomspon, ‘Wonderboy’ is looking to get back into the welterweight title picture after failing to become a UFC champion in back-to-back fights with then-titleholder Tyron Woodley. Since losing a majority decision to ‘T-Wood’ at UFC 209, Thompson has gone 4-4, earning wins over names including Jorge Masvidal and Vicente Luque, but dropping bouts to Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad.