"He can’t coach his guys himself" - Fans hilariously react to Conor McGregor calling upon Stephen Thompson to train his TUF 31 team

Episode four of TUF 31, featuring Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, showcased 'The Notorious' bringing in top welterweight and striking phenom Stephen Thompson to coach his team of prospects.

In what is no doubt the complete opposite of what McGregor hoped for his team, Chandler's veterans have shined through the show, racking up a 4-0 lead over the Irishman's group.

ESPN MMA released a hilarious collage on Instagram featuring 'Wonderboy' being called upon like Batman to the bat-signal, except the signal is Thompson's face.

Check out the picture below:

As expected, fans were quick to jump in the comments section and post hilarious replies.

A fan named '@m.yaso' posted the following response:

"[It's] because he can't coach his guys himself."

Fan responses to Conor McGregor bringing in Stephen Thompson [Image courtesy: @espnmma (Instagram)]

Another fan with the handle '@kirxa._' posted the following:

"Bro, his whole team has been getting wrestled and they call in 'Wonderboy'?."

From watching the show, one can gauge the difference in the coaching styles of both Conor McGregor and Chandler, four episodes in. Thus far, team Chandler has won all four fights. 'Iron' has a dream team of coaches in Robert Drysdale, Ryan Bader, Jason Strout and Greg Jones.

From what we've seen, we can draw a conclusion that Michael Chandler takes the trouble to understand his fighters' strengths and weaknesses and build a gameplan around them.

McGregor, on the other hand, seems to be trying to mold his fighters in his image. Given that team McGregor has all the prospects, the Irishman could be forgiven for trying to teach new tricks to his fighters.

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Will Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler fight in 2023?

TUF 31 is slated to finish airing at the end of August, when the two coaches were supposed to face each other.

Details of McGregor re-entering the testing pool have been vague, and USADA has not given a clear answer on his status. This has cast doubt on whether the fight will happen in 2023.

Fans have been urging 'Iron' to move on to more ready opponents. One can forgive Michael Chandler for wanting to wait for 'The Notorious', as it's a big pay-day fight.

However, the ambiguous nature of McGregor's return casts a shadow on this fight entirely, and some have suggested that it would make sense for 'Iron' to move on.

As has been repeatedly shown, the two coaches got in each other's faces during TUF 31, with the Irishman shoving the former Bellator champion.

This moment in the show would have served as the perfect hook for their potential fight, but that moment could be wasted in the annulls of UFC history unless that fight actually happens.

There might be a scenario where the UFC may grant the Irishman an exemption from the six-month testing pool stay. Such was the case for Brock Lesnar's return at UFC 200, with the former heavyweight titleholder ultimately testing positive for clomiphene.