TUF 31 kicked off in style, much to fans’ expectations. The latest season of the famed The Ultimate Fighter series is intended to air from May 30 through August 15. The promotion expects coaches Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler to square off in the coming months that follow this season’s conclusion.
The premiere episode that debuted earlier today showcased Conor and Chandler’s face-to-face meeting in Las Vegas. The duo even exchanged heated words before continuing to draft their teams. The season also witnessed one of the fastest KOs in the show’s history in the same episode.
The opening scene saw the said coaches arrive at the UFC APEX before seeing each other in person. With no animosity in the beginning, the two shake hands before Chandler throws props at McGregor for accepting “the hardest fight you can come back and take.”
The new season of TUF starts SOON‼️
📺: 10 PM ET l @espn and @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/OTC932pxPw
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 31, 2023
‘The Notorious‘ immediately warns him as he says, “Be careful what you wish for.” Followed by this, he asks “Mystic Mike” for his prediction of when the two have an imminent showdown. Michael predicts a 2nd-round KO after hitting Conor with “the hard ones” in the 1st round.
The Irish superstar tells him to keep dreaming and claims the fight will happen at 185 lbs. As soon as Chandler agrees to the said weight, Conor responds, “You’ll do what you’re told,” McGregor said. “I’m going to pin you. This is my game. This is my game forever.”
TUF 31 team picks
Soon after, UFC president Dana White and the two coaches join the cast members for the drafts. Unlike previous seasons, this time the bantamweight and lightweight athletes are divided into two categories per division – veterans and prospects. Thus, rather than drafting individual athletes, the coaches selected from the 4 groups.
Like every time, a coin toss determined the first pick. As Dana flips it, Conor gets first dibs. The former two-division champion goes on to choose the lightweight prospects. Michael automatically gets the lightweight veterans. Following this, Conor gets the bantamweight prospects.
The team picks are OFFICIALLY IN ✅
⬇️Drop your early predictions for #TeamMcGregor vs #TeamChandler!#TUF31 is LIVE on @ESPN pic.twitter.com/9C8Lxa05g5
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) May 31, 2023
Thus, the teams so far look something like this –
Team McGregor-
Lightweights: Lee Hammond, Nate Jennerman, Aaron McKenzie, and Landon Quinones.
Bantamweights: Mando Gutierrez, Trevor Wells, Carlos Vera, and Rico DiSciullo.
Team Chandler-
Lightweights: Jason Knight, Austin Hubbard, Roosevelt Roberts, and Kurt Holobaugh.
Bantamweights: Hunter Azure, Brad Katona, Timur Valiev, and Cody Gibson.
Team McGregor loses the first fight on TUF 31
The first fight was a scrap between lightweights Nate Jennerman (16-5) and Roosevelt Roberts (12-3) from Team McGregor and Team Chandler respectively. In what Dana White later called “one of the fastest knockouts in TUF history for sure,” Roosevelt made light work of Nate.
As soon as the bout started, Roberts hit Jennerman with a one-two combination. After further pursuing Nate, Robers hit him with the same combo again. However, this time, Roberts’ straight right hand knocked Jennerman out, throwing him to the canvas, with the latter eating two hammer fists before referee Mark Smith stepped in.
Roosevelt Roberts secures the win in less than 10 SECONDS 😤 #TUF31 pic.twitter.com/sjPpL0JApU
— ESPN (@espn) May 31, 2023
While the exact time wasn’t announced during the decision, the referee touched the athletes for the stoppage at what appears to be eight seconds on the clock into round 1.
As Chandler celebrates the victory with his fighter, a disappointed McGregor watches the aftermath standing close to the cage. The locker room vibes seem to be polar opposites after the fight. A tearful Jennerman receives words of encouragement from coach Conor and fellow teammates.
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