There is plenty of excitement surrounding the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) as Michael Chander will coach opposite Conor McGregor, who will be making his long-awaited return to the octagon later this year.
The massive showdown between the two could go down in one of the largest NFL stadiums in the USA.
The date and venue have been a hot topic of discussion as UFC President Dana White has only announced that the two will be coaching on TUF and fight following the finale.
There has been plenty of speculation with all the promotion that will go into the fight as well as season 31 of TUF airing on ESPN, McGregor vs. Chandler could take place in the AT&T stadium.
While speaking with the media, UFC President Dana White said:
“We don’t know yet [date and venue for the fight], we’re kind of working that out. To go to Dallas Texas Stadium [AT&T Stadium], you have to have the right fight. Conor and Chandler are doing The Ultimate Fighter this year and they’re coaching it, and it’s the first time it’s on ESPN the network; it was on ESPN+, [so this] will make the fight even bigger than it would already be.”
It’s not the first time that AT&T Stadium, which can seat over 100,000 people, has been linked to hosting a massive UFC event. That isn’t the only venue on the UFC’s radar as White revealed other locations that are in the mix for Conor McGregor vs. Chandler, saying:
“They’re [AT&T Stadium] in the running for the fight. When you look at a fight of that magnitude, you gotta look at Madison Square Garden. Obviously, Vegas which…we could do the stadium [Allegiant Stadium] there or do T-Mobile [Arena]. You could also do a massive stadium in London.”
When taking Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler’s popularity into account as well as the exposure that the UFC will gain with The Ultimate Fighter airing on ESPN MMA’s main network, the fight headlining an event at AT&T Stadium is realistic.
Team Conor McGregor and Team Michael Chandler will be made up of prospects and veterans
Season 31 of TUF will be unique as the UFC will be experimenting with a different format that will see Team Conor McGregor and Team Michael Chandler being made up of both veterans and the other half will be prospects.
MMA writer Cole Shelton reported that there will be veterans who have previously been released from the promotion and will gain another opportunity against young prospects.
He tweeted:
“Been told by multiple sources that TUF 31 will see half the contestants being UFC veterans who have been cut with the other half being prospects. Theme is vets vs. prospects with McGregor and Chandler as coaches. #TUF31 #UFC”
It will be interesting to see whether the UFC brings in veterans that have a history with ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Iron’ as a way to add another narrative to the season.