Conor McGregor eliminates 3 TUF fighters before show’s kickoff to ‘make room’ for own fighters
Conor McGregor reportedly kicking out three TUF 31 contestants shows the size of his power
Conor McGregor lauughing during a live event (Image Courtesy - Essentially Sports)
It seems like Conor McGregor makes headlines everywhere he goes. After arriving in Las Vegas for The Ultimate Fighter season 31 coaching stint against Michael Chandler, it looks like McGregor is not just a coach but also has “creative control” over who gets to be the contestants.
It is not confirmed, but the Industry insider and sports agent Daniel Rubenstein tweeted about McGregor making room for his fellow fighters in the TUF house. According to Rubenstein, Ken Cross, Mitch Ramirez, and Brandon Jenkins have been removed to make room for McGregor’s people. The full roster of the upcoming TUF 31 is yet to be published, but the UFC will release it in the coming days.
The upcoming TUF 31 is the most anticipated in recent memory. Conor McGregor returns as a coach after his stint in 2015. McGregor also had not fought in the promotion since 2021, when he suffered a broken ankle during the trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier. He will look to return to the winning column after two consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier. McGregor is undoubtedly the most significant box office entity for UFC; hence it is not surprising that McGregor gets to choose his fellow fighters in TUF 31.
Ken Cross, Mitch Ramirez and Brandon Jenkins all got pulled off to make room for 3 of Conor’s guy to be on the show.
— Daniel Rubenstein (@dannyrube) February 17, 2023
The report from Rubenstein is not confirmed at the moment. It is just speculation, and the factual data surrounding the information is also unavailable since UFC has not released the roster for the upcoming TUF 31. Once the roster is released, we will understand the extent of McGregor’s power in the UFC.
Michael Chandler vs Conor McGregor is probably ‘Iron Mike’s final chance for a title shot
Michael Chandler will fight Conor McGregor following his third-round submission loss against Dustin Poirier at UFC 281. In what could probably be a must-win scenario for Chandler (if he aspires to go after lightweight gold), a win over McGregor can boost his chance for one final title shot.
Chandler has two wins and three losses in the UFC, with the losses coming against high-level fighters such as Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. A win over Conor McGregor can put him within reach of another title shot, and with one more win, he can compete for the UFC Lightweight Championship again.
If Chandler loses against McGregor, he will most likely fall out of title contention and considering he will be 37 years old this year, it looks unlikely he will fight his way towards a title shot. Hence the stakes are definitely high for Chandler’s bout against McGregor following their stint as the coaches of TUF 31.
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Gerard Crispin
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