Conor McGregor has touched down in Las Vegas and is ready to begin filming the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Former two-division UFC champion McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will coach a team of men’s bantamweights and lightweights opposite former UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler.
Check out video of McGregor arriving at the UFC Apex below (via Instagram):
Fighters and alternates for ‘TUF 31’ have been in Las Vegas since last Tuesday, awaiting McGregor’s arrival. Selections have been made and fighters who made the cut for the show had to turn over their phones when they were informed.
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is also ready with his team of coaches, which includes former UFC light heavyweight and current Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.
Keeping with ‘TUF’ tradition, McGregor and Chandler are expected to fight at the conclusion of the show, although no specific details about the matchup have been finalized.
McGregor, 34, was last in action at UFC 264 in July 2021 in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. The fight was stopped in the first round after McGregor broke his ankle, an injury he has been recovering from since. McGregor famously became the undisputed featherweight champion at UFC 194, when he knocked out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds. Less than a year later, he stopped Eddie Alvarez in the second round to win the lightweight title, becoming a two-division champion.
The upcoming season of TUF will be McGregor’s second stint as a coach on the show. In 2015, he coached opposite UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber on Season 22 of the reality series.
Chandler, 36, joined the UFC in 2021 after a long run under the Bellator banner. Since his arrival, he has fought five times, including a shot at the lightweight title against Charles Oliveira. Known for his exciting, hard-hitting style, Chandler has taken home four bonuses for his performances inside the octagon.
