UFC President Dana White recently revealed that tensions are running high between Conor McGegor and Michael Chander, with a heated argument breaking out on set during filming of The Ultimate Fighter Season 31.
This comes as a surprise to fans who were initially excited about their friendly pairing as coaches. Chandler, who had been calling out McGregor for months, makes his coaching debut on the show this season, while McGregor returns for his second stint. The pre-fight buzz has already begun, and it looks like we’re in for a thrilling rivalry.
Dana White says “things started escalating” between TUF coaches Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler đź‘€
“They do not like each other now. A lot of s*** went down on Friday.”
Full #UFC285 scrum ▶️ https://t.co/wbRKimmrd9 pic.twitter.com/sb6Ncvmmty
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) March 5, 2023
“Chandler and Conor were very respectful to each other, and then some things started escalating that you’ll see on the show. They don’t like each other now,” White said of McGregor/Chandler. “A lot of shit went down on Friday…the stuff that just happened, shouldn’t have happened…not good.”
Since his last fight, a loss to Dustin Poirier by medical stoppage at UFC 264, McGregor has been itching for a comeback. Despite being injured, he continued to act like a true promoter and even attacked Poirier during his post-fight interview. Now, McGregor is more motivated than ever to get his first victory since January 2020 and redeem himself after losing two straight fights to Poirier.
Meanwhile, Chandler is also looking to bounce back from a defeat to Poirier at UFC 281 last November. As he makes his coaching debut on The Ultimate Fighter, he’ll be determined to prove himself and come out on top in his upcoming showdown with McGregor.