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Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor have been roped in to coach contestants from their respective teams on the latest season of the The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) reality show, namely TUF 31, which will air from May 30 to August 15, 2023.
While many are eagerly awaiting a potential fight between Chandler and McGregor at the end of the TUF season, there's also widespread interest in which contestants will be featured in the season.
As highlighted in a Twitter thread put forth by Joel Torres of The Scrap, he's seemingly identified some of the TUF 31 contestants on Team Chandler and Team McGregor. In one of his tweets, Torres suggested that UFC women's flyweight fighter Gabriella Fernandes posted a video online of herself with Chandler, presumably at the TUF house.
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On that note, Torres indicated that he had a list of fighters he believed would be featured on TUF and that he watched Fernandes' video several times to cross-reference the faces in the video.
In his series of tweets, Torres highlighted that Michael Chandler's team appears to be veteran-heavy, as it boasts multiple former UFC fighters including Roosevelt Roberts, Kurt Holobaugh, Jason Knight, Austin Hubbard, Brad Katona, Hunter Azure, and Cody Gibson.
Meanwhile, Torres insinuated that Team McGregor features MMA prospects who are looking to earn their first UFC contract. Some of the fighters on Team McGregor are Nate Jennerman, Rico DiSciullo, Carlos Vera, Trevor Wells, Mando Gutierrez, and Aaron McKenzie.
Furthermore, it's believed that McGregor is rumored to have brought in one or more fighters of his choice, likely from his SBG Ireland gym. However, the names of the fighter(s) as well as a few other contestants on TUF 31 are yet to be revealed.
As reported by Cole Shelton earlier this month, TUF 31 will purportedly have a veterans vs. prospects theme. Half the contestants on the season will be former UFC fighters who've been released from the organization, whereas the other half will be prospects who haven't competed in the UFC yet.
Conor McGregor is at a crossroads ahead of his potential fight against Michael Chandler
While the UFC hasn't officially announced the TUF 31 cast as of yet, the anticipation for the TUF season has reached fever pitch. This is particularly true because the TUF season's end will likely feature former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor making his long-awaited return to the octagon after being on injury hiatus since July 2021.
UFC megastar and MMA icon Conor McGregor has lost three of his past five fights and is currently on a two-fight losing streak. Many believe that McGregor and lightweight mainstay Chandler could potentially clash in a welterweight bout, but the bout hasn't been officially announced.
Regardless of what weight Conor McGregor's fight against 'Iron' is contested at, many foresee it as a crossroads matchup for the Irishman. A victory over Chandler could catapult 'The Notorious' into the UFC title picture, whereas a loss could severely dent his standing as an elite fighter.
