Only a few days ago, UFC President Dana White announced that the new TUF season would be coached by UFC lightweights Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. This marks the second time the Irishman takes on the mantle of a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. The last time he did it was against Urijah Faber on the 22nd season of TUF.
However, unlike that season, this time Conor will fight the opposing coach. Michael Chandler has stated he wants McGregor at his “biggest,” and “baddest,” hinting that this fight may occur at welterweight. So how does the Notorious match up against “Iron” Mike?
Both fighters are around the same height as Conor stands at 5 feet 9 inches while Chandler is 5 feet 8 inches. However, Conor has a reach advantage over Chandler. McGregor has a 74-inch reach, whereas, Chandler’s reach taps out at 71 and a half inches.
When it comes to their weight, we have already seen how big Conor sometimes gets when he isn’t cutting any weight. His recent pictures have him looking more like a middleweight than a lightweight. On the other hand, Michael Chandler is quite big for a lightweight owing to his stocky yet muscular build. Both fighters cut significant amounts of weight to make the 155 lbs lightweight limit.
All this being said, it is very likely that Conor McGregor will have a physical advantage over his TUF rival during their fight. His reach is already on par with many welterweights and considering how much muscle he has put on, he will probably edge out Michael on fight night. Nevertheless, this fight is a mouth-watering prospect for any MMA fan.
When is Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler?
The 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter is scheduled to air its first episode on May 30. The series will continue to air on ESPN and ESPN+ till August 15. The contest usually culminates at the TUF finale with two UFC fighters headlining that event. However, the coaches generally headline a PPV of their own.
And given Conor McGregor’s star power, he will also likely be given his own PPV. Especially considering he hasn’t fought since suffering a horrific leg injury during his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The last season of TUF, which saw Amanda Nunes and Juliana Pena as the coaches concluded on July 19. The coaches then duked it out in the main event of that month’s corresponding pay-per-view, UFC 277.
This could be how the TUF 31 plays out. It is likely that Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler will go down in the main event of UFC’s August 2023 PPV. The date for the PPV in August is yet to be announced but it will probably follow the TUF finale if history is anything to go by.
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