"The wait is over" - Conor McGregor announces the beginning of his journey back to the octagon as TUF 31 premieres today

Conor McGregor is set to cross a pivotal milestone on his journey back to the octagon today. In his long and arduous comeback to professional MMA competition, McGregor has now suggested that the wait for his on-screen return to UFC programming is finally over.

The UFC megastar is set to feature as a coach alongside rival coach Michael Chandler on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 31, which will premiere today. The TUF reality show's 31st season is expected to be aired from May 30 to August 15th, 2023.

'The Notorious' had previously served as a coach on TUF 22 back in 2015 against then-rival coach Urijah Faber. While McGregor and Faber didn't fight one another at the end of the season, the season is still regarded as one of the most successful ones in the show's history.

A former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, McGregor will be featured on TUF as a coach yet again, this time around on TUF 31. Touching upon the TUF 31 premiere, the Irishman has taken to his official Twitter account to assert that he's back. 'The Notorious' tweeted a poster of TUF 31 with a statement that read as follows:

"The wait is over, we are back baby! #TeamMcG @espn @UltimateFighter"

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Conor McGregor addresses fight announcement regarding expected clash against Michael Chandler

Conor McGregor's most recent fight witnessed him suffer a gruesome leg injury against Dustin Poirier and lose via first-round TKO. Their lightweight bout transpired in July 2021, and McGregor hasn't competed ever since. He's bulked up considerably in the ensuing years and has worked incredibly hard on rehabbing his leg.

The consensus is that Conor McGregor is targeting a return to the octagon against top-tier UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler before the end of the 2023 calendar year. While many foresee their fight being contested at welterweight, neither the weight class nor the date for the matchup has been officially announced yet.

TMZ Sports recently caught up with Conor McGregor and asked him about his potential showdown against Michael Chandler. Shedding light upon the highly-anticipated matchup, the MMA legend indicated that their fight could be officially announced soon. McGregor stated:

“Soon, very soon. An announcement soon. Announcement soon.”

Furthermore, McGregor, who has 8 UFC KO/TKO wins on his record, vowed to surpass Derrick Lewis and Matt Brown. The latter duo are the current record holders for most KO/TKO wins (13) in the UFC. 'The Notorious' said:

"Just get back to it, get back to it. I only have five KOs to go so I’m almost there already. [And to the doubters?] I’ll see you soon!”

Check out Conor McGregor's comments in the video below: