Conor McGregor despatched out his crew’s brightest prospect and nonetheless went house empty-handed.
Kurt Holobaugh (19-7, 1 NC) made it 6-0 for coach Michael Chandler on The Final Fighter 31 as he pulled off a powerful comeback submission win over McGregor’s SBG Eire teammate Lee Hammond (5-0*). This was a crippling blow to Group McGregor with Hammond the top-ranked light-weight on his squad and Holobaugh the fourth-ranked on Group Chandler.
(*TUF bouts are thought of to be exhibitions and the outcomes don’t rely in the direction of a fighter’s professional document)
By way of one spherical, it regarded like Hammond would lastly ship a win for McGregor. The 26-year-old Irishman bought the higher of Holobaugh within the grappling exchanges, stifling the busy guard of Holobaugh and touchdown strong ground-and-pound. After taking Spherical 1, he continued his efficient floor work in Spherical 2, bloodying Holobaugh along with his offense.
Nevertheless, Holobaugh took benefit of a gap to flee from backside place and reverse the state of affairs. With lower than two minutes remaining within the struggle, the previous UFC fighter went all-out for a guillotine choke that pressured Hammond to faucet out. The end result left a surprised McGregor on his knees cageside.
Chandler and McGregor then shared a tense faceoff within the cage capped off by McGregor giving Chandler a tough shove. UFC President Dana White shortly made his means into the cage to forestall the state of affairs from escalating, however the dangerous blood is palpable between the 2 stars who’re anticipated to struggle at a future date.
Holobaugh beforehand competed in two separate stints for the UFC, a one-off exhibiting in 2013 after which a three-fight run from 2018-2019. He joins Group Chandler light-weight veterans Roosevelt Roberts and Austin Hubbard in advancing to the TUF 31 semifinals.
Subsequent week, Group Chandler’s Jason Knight (23-7) and Group McGregor’s Landon Quinones (7-1-1) struggle for the ultimate light-weight semifinal spot.
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. Nevertheless, the matchup is but to be made official and up to date sexual assault accusations towards McGregor have left his future aggressive standing unclear.
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 is but to be introduced.
Right here is the TUF 31 roster divided by crew:
Group 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)
Group 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 below are the quarterfinal outcomes up to now:
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
Timur Valiev def. Trevor Wells through unanimous resolution
Brad Katona def. Carlos Vera through unanimous resolution
Kurt Holobaugh def. Lee Hammond through second-round submission (guillotine choke)
Listed below are the remaining quarterfinal matchups:
Jason Knight vs. Landon Quinones
Hunter Azure vs. Rico DiSciullo
Advancing to semifinals: Roberts, Gibson, Hubbard, Valiev, Katona, Holobaugh
Eradicated: Jennerman, Gutierrez, McKenzie, Wells, Vera, Hammond
