Michael Chandler is dominating his Final Fighter 31 teaching matchup with Conor McGregor.
On this week’s episode, Workforce Chandler improved to 3-0 within the TUF 31 quarterfinals as Austin Hubbard (15-6) received a lopsided resolution over Aaron McKenzie (11-2-1) of their light-weight event bout.
The youthful, however barely extra skilled Hubbard (Hubbard has extra professional fights than McKenzie, although each began their professional careers in 2015) displayed excellent takedown protection within the two-round battle, repeatedly warding off McKenzie’s makes an attempt to take the combat to the mat. McKenzie had his moments on the toes, catching Hubbard with just a few strong punches proper on the cash, however Hubbard’s chin was as much as the duty and he incessantly fired again.
Hubbard almost ended the combat late in Spherical 1 as he cracked McKenzie with an uppercut adopted by a giant knee as McKenzie shot in to sluggish Hubbard down. That led to Hubbard gaining high place and raining laborious ground-and-pound strikes onto McKenzie.
A bloodied McKenzie got here out aggressive within the second spherical, however Hubbard remained calm and finally scored a takedown of his personal to arrange extra ground-and-pound. When McKenzie tried to counter wrestle, Hubbard merely powered him again all the way down to the mat the place he managed him for the rest of the spherical. Hubbard went on to assert a unanimous resolution win.
In Hubbard’s preliminary run with the UFC, he went 3-4 with wins over Dakota Bush, Max Rohskopf, and Kyle Prepolec. He was launched in 2021, however bounced again with a pair of wins on the regional scene in 2022. He joins fellow UFC veterans Roosevelt Roberts and Cody Gibson in advancing to the semifinals.
McGregor’s group of prospects (outlined as fighters who haven’t fought within the UFC) stay and not using a win.
It wasn’t all unhealthy information for McGregor, who acquired a go to from fan Samuel Romero, who introduced him a few custom-made McGregor motion figures (one in combating apparel, one in enterprise apparel). “The Infamous” was so impressed by Romero’s work that he supplied to purchase the figures on the spot and he broke out a stack of $100 payments to finish the transaction, a lot to Romero’s amazement.
Subsequent week contains a bout rescheduled from Episode 2 as Workforce McGregor’s Trevor Wells (8-3) takes on Workforce Chandler’s Timur Valiev (18-3, 1 NC).
The Final Fighter 31 airs reside each Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+.
Following the season finale, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are anticipated to face off in a welterweight bout at a date nonetheless to be decided.
The finalists of the TUF 31 light-weight and bantamweight tournaments may also compete for a six-figure UFC contract on the present’s reside finale. A date for that occasion can also be but to be introduced.
Right here is the TUF 31 roster divided by group:
Workforce McGregor (prospects)
Light-weight
Lee Hammond (27, 5-0)
Nate Jennerman (29, 16-5)
Aaron McKenzie (34, 11-2-1)
Landon Quinones (27, 7-1-1)
Bantamweight
Mando Gutierrez (26, 8-2)
Trevor Wells (27, 8-3)
Carlos Vera (35, 11-3)
Rico DiSciullo (36, 11-2, 1 NC)
Workforce Chandler (veterans)
Light-weight
Jason Knight (30, 23-7)
Austin Hubbard (31, 15-6)
Roosevelt Roberts (28, 12-3, 1 NC)
Kurt Holobaugh (36, 19-7, 1 NC)
Bantamweight
Hunter Azure (31, 10-3)
Brad Katona (31, 12-2)
Timur Valiev (33, 18-3, 1 NC)
Cody Gibson (35, 19-8)
Listed here are the quarterfinal outcomes to this point:
Roosevelt Roberts def. Nate Jennerman through first-round KO
Cody Gibson def. Mando Gutierrez through first-round TKO
Austin Hubbard def. Aaron McKenzie through unanimous resolution
Listed here are the remaining quarterfinal matchups:
Trevor Wells vs. Timur Valiev
Lee Hammond vs. Kurt Holobaugh
Jason Knight vs. Landon Quinones
Hunter Azure vs. Rico DiSciullo
Brad Katona vs. Carlos Vera
Advancing to semifinals: Roberts, Gibson, Hubbard
Eradicated: Jennerman, Gutierrez, McKenzie
