Latest news with #TheUltimateFighter31
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Chael Sonnen reacts to Conor McGregor's ‘unfinished business' with Michael Chandler while dismissing the Notorious' wish for a stadium bout
Chael Sonnen. Image via Chael Sonnen/YouTube Conor McGregor 's stepping back into the Octagon has now become a far-from-reality thing, with the fighter being more interested in his political venture. His newfound passion to run for the presidential post of Ireland has raised uncertainties in terms of scheduling the last two bouts remaining in his contract. The fighter, however, tries to remain relevant within the combat sports community through his posts on the recent happenings in the UFC . Recently, the fighter wrote on X, expressing his only condition to return to the Octagon, i.e. if the bout ever happens in a stadium . American promoter Chael Sonnen joins the league to comment on the condition of McGregor's as well as criticize his ' unfinished business ' with Michael Chandler . American promoter Chael Sonnen gets critical about Conor McGregor's rumored return to the Octagon Following the recent event of WrestleMania 41 on the 19th and 20th of April, 2025 and the roaring success of it, Irish fighter Conor McGregor reposted a clip from the extravagant event and captioned it as 'I'll only come back to a stadium' The condition met with a lot of criticism from the fans, who even interpreted McGregor's words to be indicative of the fact that the fighter will never return to the Octagon. American promoter Chael Sonnen seemed awestruck by the condition of McGregor. 'Conor McGregor will only return for a stadium-sized event. That's a fascinating claim.' Sonnen got nostalgic about the one time when a boxing match headlined by Manny Pacquiao was organized at a stadium in Dallas. The American promoter went on to list a few prerequisites, even if McGregor is willing to comeback to a stadium. 'If I want to promote that and I go, get a stadium, can I have him? Because something tells me I am also going to need pay-per-view, something tells me I am going to need a guarantee. Something tells me I am going to need a guarantee, something tells me I am going to need to bring in his entourage, something tells me I am also going to need a section of seats and something tells me he is going to need a cut of the revenue, but it doesn't say that.' Chael Responds to Conor McGregor Latest Demand for UFC Return… Ideas for an unconventional setting for bouts to happen is not a new thing. Sonnen himself got an offer once to fight Mike Tyson on top of a skyscraper, which never really happened. He also cited the example of KSI wanting to fight on Alcatraz once. Sonnen instead proposes an alternative with a smaller venue but a bigger paycheck of almost $100 million fo McGregor, wondering if the second option is more viable and workable. Sonnen further criticized McGregor for his 'unfinished business' with Michael Chandler post on X. The former MMA fighter straight clarified the disastrous results of The Ultimate Fighter 31 . 'You and Chandler don't have any business. You did a season of the Ultimate Fighter. The ratings were so bad, they had to bring me and Daniel Cormier in to try to revive the whole story…You did real bad business the one time you did business…there has never been a main event in UFC history that would have more losses from both sides going into it.' Sonnen doesn't believe that a show featuring McGregor would pull an audience as large the size of a stadium. Owing to his previous way of pulling out of the fight against Chandler because of a toe injury, the audience wouldn't be keen on watching the same guy. Also read: Former UFC flyweight prospect sentenced to 15 years and 5 months in jail after pleading guilty to firearms and drug trafficking accusations Chael Sonnen, while emphasizing on his relationship with Michael Chandler, dismisses the fact the Notorious has any business with Chandler. The promoter even nullified the desire of the Irish fighter to get into action at a stadium, simply by reflecting on the latter's bout records in recent times.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Conor McGregor gets 3-word message from Michael Chandler teasing a comeback fight
and Michael Chandler 's exchange of cryptic posts has taken the internet by storm. The much-talked-about and highly anticipated bout between McGregor and Chandler might finally see the light of day after a long wait of three years since the airing of The Ultimate Fighter 31 . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It was TUF 31 that saw the fighters stepping up against each other, but as coaches to their respective teams. Even though in talks, a head-on fight has not materialized yet between the fighters. A recent thread of posts exchanged between them has, however, reignited hope amongst the MMA fans and the community regarding a potential comeback bout for both fighters. Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler reignite hopes of the MMA community for the iconic bout to pan out Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler were scheduled to face each other at UFC 303 . However, The Notorious had to withdraw from the bout owing to a toe injury. Since then, Chandler waited for quite a long time before finally moving on to face Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 and Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 . Both bouts brought disappointing defeats for the Iron. McGregor is in no better position, with his last bout in the Octagon being a defeat at the hands of Dustin Poirier. From the last four bouts, the fighter stands with a record of 1-3, two of the defeats coming in of Poirier himself and the other one at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov. While McGregor's recent life updates mostly revolved around his newfound political ambitions, a few of his cryptic posts on the social media platform X hinted at a potential comeback for the fighter. Just a couple of days before UFC 314, McGregor posted a video of himself sparring while writing that the bout he is most interested in is the Paddy Pimblett vs. Michael Chandler card. This created a wave of speculation amongst the fans that the winner of the bout might be facing McGregor next. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Even though Pimblett, right after the bout, called out McGregor, there is no positive response from the Notorious. Instead, the recent post of McGregor hinted at a different opponent. Right after a few moments of expressing his desire to come back to fight only in a stadium, while reflecting on the exciting weekend in Las Vegas, highlighting Wrestlemania 41, the fighter called out Chandler in a pretty much indicative post. 'IRON MIKE CHANDLER. Unfinished business.' Michael Chandler did not take long and took up the opportunity to respond to McGregor's post on a positive note. 'Unfinished Business Loading….' While fans have been eagerly waiting for McGregor's comeback announcement owing to the last two bouts remaining in his contract, the exchange of words between Chandler and the Notorious has garnered mixed reactions from the fan community of MMA. One of the users wrote, 'Calm response Mike, you stayed ready, exactly where you need to be. The plan is still in motion.' Another one wrote, 'Mike is undefeated when it comes to waiting years for Conor' 'We want to see it already' 'Connor only pops up when he thinks he has a shot' The mixed reaction from the fan community has revealed diverse opinions, where some believe that McGregor is looking for an easy fight to end his career with a win, while others believe that the wait is not worth it, as this would be just another disappointment for Chandler, as the fight probably wouldn't pan out. Also read: McGregor recently lost a bet of $500,000, which he had placed on Chandler during the latter's bout with Pimblett at UFC 314. The bet left Pimblett disappointed after he found out that McGregor supported Chandler in the bout. While both Pimblett and Chandler are potential opponents for the Notorious, only time will tell us how the fixture pans out.
USA Today
15-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alexander Hernandez vs. Kurt Holobaugh prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 254
Alexander Hernandez and Kurt Holobaugh meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 254 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 2-3 UFC main cards, 2025: 19-16-1 Alexander Hernandez vs. Kurt Holobaugh UFC Fight Night 254 preview Hernandez (15-8 MMA, 7-7 UFC) will attempt to remain above .500 in his UFC tenure with a second straight victory. Hernandez enters his first fight of the year on the heels of a split decision win over Austin Hubbard in October. The result snapped a two-fight skid of decisions to Damon Jackson and Bill Algeo. … 'The Ultimate Fighter 31' winner Holobaugh (21-8 MMA, 2-5 UFC) continues his third UFC stint, looking to score back-to-back wins. In his previous outing, Holobaugh picked up a unanimous decision win over Kaynan Kruschewsky in July. Alexander Hernandez vs. Kurt Holobaugh UFC Fight Night 254 expert pick, prediction Serving as a solid action fight at 155 pounds is a showdown between former featherweights, Hernandez and Holobaugh. Despite coming into this fight with a slight lean toward Hernandez, I ended up on the Holobaugh side after watching back the tape. Holobaugh may be older with less explosivity than his counterpart, but the Louisiana native has a deceptive amount of experience and skills under his belt. Nasty transitional work by Kurt Holobaugh, using the crossface during the get up to land a body knee and an elbow to the head. — Feño 🏴 (@fenoxsky) March 13, 2025 More importantly, Holobaugh is a high-paced, in-your-face action fighter, which is a style that I suspect Hernandez struggles with. Hernandez has faced grinding fighters before, but those fighters lacked the skills, dimensions and durability that Holobaugh brings to the table. Unless Hernandez can surprise Holobaugh with something out of the gate early, then he'll likely have to revert his style to a wrestling-heavy approach if he means to neutralize Holobaugh (something we haven't seen Hernandez do since his win over Olivier Aubin-Mercier seven years ago). A competitive dogfight to a decision is the most likely outcome, but I'll go ahead and take a flier on Holobaugh to overwhelm Hernandez en route to a standing stoppage in Round 2. Alexander Hernandez vs. Kurt Holobaugh UFC Fight Night 254 odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the younger fighter, listing Hernandez -220 and Holbaugh +176 via FanDuel. Alexander Hernandez vs. Kurt Holobaugh UFC Fight Night 254 start time, how to watch As the co-main event, Hernandez and Holobaugh are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:40 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 254.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paddy Pimblett's best chance: How Michael Chandler can play kingmaker for 'The Baddy' at UFC 314
It arrived in the midst of a plethora of exciting UFC announcements, but the confirmation of surging Liverpudlian lightweight Paddy Pimblett facing Michael Chandler at UFC 314 somehow slipped under the radar. A classic matchup pitting a veteran title contender against an up-and-coming talent, the booking also elongates the pause in Chandler's labyrinthine quest to one day fight Conor McGregor. Despite receiving no climax to his rivalry with 'The Notorious,' Chandler's name value has soared among casual sports fans due to his association with the divisive former two-division champion in the two years since they were pitted against each other as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 31." While the reaction to the chief support of UFC 314 was largely positive, there were some who felt Pimblett had been handed a favorable challenge by the UFC due to his popularity. Skeptics aligned the Chandler booking with Pimblett's previous slate against Tony Ferguson, insisting it was another attempt by the brass to pave a new star's way to championship contention in the least risky way possible. Chandler is undoubtedly the biggest and most relevant challenge of his Pimblett's career, but considering the fate of every UFC opponent who has claimed victory over the American, it's also the biggest opportunity 'The Baddy' has been granted in his 13 years as a professional. Chandler became one of the power players of the 155-pound division upon his arrival to UFC in 2021. His first win over Dan Hooker immediately propelled him to a title shot, and even though he came up short against Charles Oliveira in his UFC 262 challenge for the vacant belt, he has remained one of the most important pieces of the UFC's lightweight puzzle. In truth, the former king of Bellator has become a kingmaker for the UFC. Since suffering defeat in that vacant title clash with Oliveira, Chandler has compiled a record of 1-3. However, every single person who bested him during this run has immediately vaulted into the title fray. After his showcase win over Chandler at UFC 268, Justin Gaethje was granted a title shot against Oliveira at UFC 274. When Dustin Poirier stopped Chandler at UFC 281, he was propelled into a vacant BMF tilt with Gaethje. On the back of Chandler's most recent defeat to Oliveira at UFC 309, Oliveira was thought to be next in line for champion Islam Makhachev and even sat cageside as Makhachev made short work of Oliveira's Brazilian countryman Renato Moicano in January at UFC 311. With the arrival of UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria to lightweight, which came in the same battery of announcements as Chandler vs. Pimblett, UFC CEO Dana White has been reluctant to declare Topuria as Makhachev's next assignment, leading some to believe the opportunity has already been promised to 'Do Bronx.' Pimblett silenced a lot of critics with his emphatic stoppage of King Green at UFC 304, but it also underlined the showmanship he has boasted since his early days with Cage Warriors. Competing on the turf of his beloved Liverpool Football Club's most storied rival, Manchester United, Pimblett's entrance at UFC 304 served as an injection of pure adrenaline for the sleepy spectators in the Co-op Live. His two previous outings had not afforded him the same chorus of admiration. Despite beating Ferguson in 2023, the lack of a finish over the aging legend led to scrutiny. Similarly, after getting a split decision nod over Jared Gordon in 2022, Pimblett found himself under fire with many disagreeing with the judges' scorecards. The need to provide a spectacle is more important in today's UFC than any other era, and Pimblett seems to know that Chandler is an ideal dance partner for that particular aspect of the fight game. 'I like him as a person and as a fighter, he's entertaining and he's a nice person,' said Pimblett on his latest vlog, which garnered the attention of 497,000 sets of eyeballs at the time of writing. 'I can remember saying last year or something, I don't think we'll end up fighting Chandler because we get on, but it's the UFC, lad. You have to fight whoever gets put in front of you and it's a good fight for my career.' Based on the trajectories of Chandler's previous victorious opponents, a win being 'good' for Pimblett's career is putting it mildly. That said, Chandler poses threats 'The Baddy' could struggle with. He has far more tests across five rounds than his younger counterpart, who hasn't gone the championship distance since his Cage Warriors defeat to Soren Bak in 2018. Chandler also has a stellar wresting skill set, which he tends to disregard for a more fan-friendly style. Topuria's entry to the division could become a very interesting wrinkle should Pimblett get his hand raised on April 12. There is no doubt that the former featherweight champion has accomplished far more than his lightweight adversary, but could anyone realistically rule out Pimblett being added to White's list of 'other options' for Topuria or Makhachev if he can get through Chandler at UFC 314? To add to that, Chandler doesn't seem to be giving up his chase for McGregor. While Pimblett has previously called for a showdown with McGregor as far back as 2015, the European duo have been far more cordial as of late. Will that rule him out of impromptu callout from McGregor with a win UFC 314? I wouldn't bet on it.
USA Today
25-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael Chandler changes tune on Conor McGregor's UFC comeback
Michael Chandler has changed his tune on UFC star Conor McGregor ever fighting again. Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) has been linked to a fight with McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) for a few years now, but the matchup never materialized. He did eventually get a date, with the pair scheduled to fight last June at UFC 303 before McGregor withdrew due to a broken pinky toe. Chandler grew impatient and eventually booked another fight. He ran things back with Charles Oliveira this past November at UFC 309, losing the bout by unanimous decision. He returns against Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in a five-round co-main event April 12 at UFC 314 from Kaseya Center in Miami (ESPN+ pay-per-view). So has Chandler finally moved on? Not quite yet. 'Conor is always a part of it, man,' Chandler said on 'The Ariel Helwani Show.' 'His road back to the UFC goes through me. It goes straight through Nashville, Tennessee, and Michael Chandler. We've got to finish 'The Ultimate Fighter 31.' That is the UFC's sentiment. I think it's even his sentiment. He said, 'I'm a man of my word.' 'Well, if you're a man of your word then there's only one guy that you're going to fight when you come back to the UFC, the guy who had a contract with your name on. The guy who signed on the dotted line and still to this day never missed weight and never pulled out of a fight.' Doubt finally creeps in? McGregor may still be in Chandler's sights, but does he think 'The Notorious' will ever compete again? 'Heart of hearts is tough man, because I think heart of hearts says Conor is coming back at some point, but if I'm a betting man, if I'm using my brain, I wouldn't put money on it,' Chandler said. 'But that's where I'm at today, right now. I'm focused on a blonde dude from Liverpool. My heart of hearts says I'm not sure for sure, but Conor's got to come back to his first love, the one thing that has given him every single shiny object he's currently chasing taking all these side quests and side jobs, every single thing that he has can be tied back some way or the other to the UFC and the opportunity they gave him. 'Does he want his legacy to be, 'My last fight I broke my leg, I touted the greatest comeback in combat sports history, I fooled everybody for a couple of years, and then signed on the dotted line to fight Michael Chandler, then pulled out of the fight never to return again?' I don't think he wants his legacy to be that. Then again, I haven't walked a mile in that man's shoes, so I'm not going to say what he is thinking. But my heart of hearts says he's coming back at some point, but if I was a betting man, I ain't putting money on it.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 314.
