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It appears that season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter featuring Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler is set to make a unique change to the traditional format.
According to MMA writer Cole Shelton, TUF 31 will have a veterans vs. prospects theme. Half of the contestants will be fighters that have previously been released from the promotion and the other half will be young prospects.
"Been told by multiple sources that TUF 31 will see half the contestants being UFC veterans who have been cut with the other half being prospects. Theme is vets vs. prospects with McGregor and Chandler as coaches. #TUF31 #UFC"
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This isn't the first time that the promotion has experimented with a new theme for The Ultimate Fighter. Some past seasons have seen opposing gyms competing, fighters competing for title shots, and the introduction of new weight divisions.
The report on the new theme was generally well-received by the MMA community. TSN MMA reporter Aaron Bronster even chimed in with a unique scenario that would see one of McGregor's most famous press conference quotes come full circle.
"Bringing back Jeremy Stephens for the comedy"
"See him in the mixed crowd"
This new veterans vs. prospects theme will make for some very intriguing bouts as there will be an experience gap in some of the fights.
Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will fight after the TUF 31 finale
There is already plenty of excitement surrounding the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter as it will lead to Conor McGregor's return to the octagon.
Following the season finale, 'The Notorious' and Michael Chandler will headline a pay-per-view. It will be the former two-division UFC champion's first fight since 2021. Both fighters will look to use TUF as a platform to maximize fans' interest in their upcoming fight.
Season 31 will be different from 'Mystic Mac's' last coaching stint. He will be fighting the opposing coach after this season, which wasn't the case when he coached opposite Urijah Faber in 2015. The fight between the two popular coaches is expected to be contested at 170lbs.
