Conor McGregor admits to ‘hostile’ incident with Michael Chandler ahead of UFC showdown

UFC president Dana White recently said ‘a lot of s*** went down’ during filming for the new season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’

Alex Pattle
Combat Sports Correspondent
Wednesday 15 March 2023 08:14 EDT
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Conor McGregor has admitted that he was involved in a ‘hostile’ incident with Michael Chandler on the set of The Ultimate Fighter.

McGregor and Chandler are currently filming the new season of the UFC’s reality television show, with the pair set to square off in the Octagon later this year – though their fight is still without a date, location and weight class.

UFC president Dana White said this month that ‘a lot of s*** went down’ between McGregor and Chandler during filming, and McGregor has now confirmed that ‘tempers flared’.

Irishman McGregor told Barstool Sports: “I had respect for Chandler [before filming]. [Then] we had an issue, right. Obviously tempers are flaring, it’s a f***ing hostile thing.

“I like his style, he likes my style, we have a good little buzz, [but] there’s still competitive fire, I’m still gonna mince him. I know he’s gonna try and throw everything into his shots, also. But there’s still admiration, that’s how it should be, that’s how sport should be.

“You should have the ability to separate it. We had an issue once during it, and it’s all good. Tempers were flaring, we got past it.”

McGregor, 34, and American Chandler, 36, are both 1-3 in their last four fights.

McGregor last fought in July 2021, suffering a broken leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier, while Chandler’s last bout also came against Poirier, who submitted “Iron Mike” in November.

The Ultimate Fighter sees two UFC athletes coaching opposing teams of contestants, all of whom are bidding for a spot on the UFC roster. One winner is crowned from the group of contestants, while the coaches go on to fight each other.

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