(Image: Instagram/ Conor McGregor)
The former UFC double champion Conor McGregor will coach against Michael Chandler on the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter” before facing him in the Octagon.
McGregor and Chandler were announced as the coaches on social media on Saturday by UFC president Dana White. The McGregor-Chandler battle, which is probably going to weigh 170 pounds, has no set date or venue.
The 31st season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which will show on ESPN and ESPN+, will run from May 30 through August 15.
McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his left leg in a fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He coached on the reality series in 2015 against Urijah Faber. For more than a year, Chandler has demanded a fight with McGregor.
McGregor (22-6) was the first fighter to simultaneously hold two different weight division belts in the UFC, at lightweight and featherweight. The Irish-born fighter, who defeated Jose Aldo for the featherweight title in 2015 with a 13-second knockout, owns the record for the fastest finish in UFC title fight history. However, the 34-year-old has lost two straight fights and three of his last four.