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Dana White took to social media Saturday afternoon to announce that Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler would be the coaching duo on this year’s upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. McGregor is no stranger to the tournament style reality show, having coached against Urijah Faber on The Ultimate Fighter 22 season. McGregor had many memorable moments on the show including the infamous “snake in the grass” line directed towards TJ Dillashaw. 

Michael Chandler will be new to The Ultimate Fighter coaching role, but is quite clearly the best option to pin against Conor McGregor. Chandler has called for a fight with McGregor every time a microphone has been put in his face since signing with the UFC. Chandler does have reality television experience having been on an episode of Deal or no Deal and shoots a damn good promo every time the camera is on him. 

As for the fight between the coaches after the season, I assume the two will headline a PPV towards the end of the year, most likely contested at 170 pounds. McGregor is still currently out of the USADA testing pool and will have to be tested for six months and receive two negative tests before being allowed to compete in the UFC again. While it’s impossible to say what Conor will look like after recovering from a serious injury and having a two year layoff outside of the cage, Chandler is the perfect matchup for him on paper. The two are both coming off losses to Dustin Poirier and need a statement victory for any hopes of ever being back in title contention. I look forward to a vastly entertaining season of The Ultimate Fighter and a banger of a fight between McGregor and Chandler in the fourth quarter of 2023.