WATCH: UFC News: After much anticipation, the day that UFC fans have been eagerly awaiting finally arrived. The biggest superstar in the company, Conor McGregor, returned to take on Michael Chandler in The Ultimate Fighter Series. The highly anticipated clash between Team McGregor and Team Chandler kicked off in spectacular fashion with the show’s debut episode airing on ESPN. In case you missed it, here’s a rundown of what went down during the first episode of TUF 31. Follow UFC News Updates with Insidesport.IN
WATCH: What Happened In the First Episode of TUF 31 ? Team McGregor vs Team Chandler Highlights
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WATCH: TUF 31 Highlights: Team McGregor vs Team Chandler
The 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered with a bang as opposing coaches Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler met face-to-face, exchanging words, and then they proceeded to draft their teams with Dana White.
The teams were categorized into two groups for each division: experienced fighters and up-and-coming talents (vets and prospects). The initial pick was decided by flipping a coin, and McGregor won the first choice, opting for the lightweight prospects. So Michael Chandler got the veteran’s lightweight fighters and the veterans bantamweight fighters.
And then as coaches were asked to rank their team they rank as follow:
Team McGregor Lee Hammond, Nate Jennerman, Aaron McKenzie and Landon Quinones at lightweight. And Mando Gutierrez, Trevor Wells, Carlos Vera and Rico DiSciullo at bantamweight. Whereas, Chandler’s team includes Kurt Holobaugh, Austin Hubbard, Jason Knight and Roosevelt Roberts at lightweight and Hunter Azure, Cody Gibson, Brad Katona and Timur Valiev at bantamweight.
After moving into the house, the teams had their first training sessions. McGregor put his team through hard sparring, while Chandler started lighter. The coaches then ranked their fighters to determine matchups.
The first fight pitted Team McGregor’s Nate Jennerman against Team Chandler’s Roosevelt Roberts at lightweight. Roberts scored one of the fastest knockouts in TUF history, flattening Jennerman with a right hand just eight seconds into the first round.
While Chandler’s team celebrated, McGregor and his teammates were disappointed with this loss. The win gives Team Chandler early control of the matchups. Overall, Ultimate Fighter: McGregor vs. Chandler is off to an exciting start. Roberts’ rapid finish has set the tone, and with the first round of matchups on deck, there are sure to be fireworks to come this season.
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