Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are trying hard to lift their team in the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter. In the 10th episode of the season, things took an unexpected turn for some viewers as Brad Katona from Chandler’s team moved to Conor McGregor’s team. Katona, who is the winner of TUF 27 and the bantamweight semifinalist of TUF 31, seized the opportunity to train under the UFC superstar. However, for those in the know, it was not a very surprising move. McGregor wholeheartedly welcomed the fighter. Katona used to train with the former UFC double-division champion in Ireland and went to the same gym. Therefore, this swap was not a huge surprise as this helped Katona reunite with McGregor and his dear teammates.

This move proved highly beneficial to ‘The Notorious, as it paved the way for a second victory for Team McGregor. The Irishman’s team lost all the bouts except a quarterfinal clash. His team won yet another fight when Brad Katona and Timur Valiev locked horns. Nonetheless, Katona’s decision victory was not at all accepted by the rival coach, Michael Chandler.

Michael Chandler completely disagrees

Katona is someone who has already proven that he is a great MMA fighter, as he was the bantamweight champion of Brave CF. He was also a part of the UFC, where he suffered two consecutive losses in his last two fights and was released from the promotion. Now Katona is trying hard to find his way to the world’s biggest MMA promotion by winning the 31st season of TUF. ‘Superman’ has now won against team Chandler’s Valiev through a split decision after a three-round bout. This has cemented his position in the bantamweight finale. After the bout, Chandler took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle and wrote, “Disagree with that decision…. #tuf31“

The bout was a highly close affair where the two fighters fought neck-to-neck against each other. The violent nature of the bout cemented its place as one of the most thrilling bouts of the season. In rounds one and two, Katona was leading the fight; however, his opponent tried his best to outperform him through takedown attempts. In round three, the fans witnessed an uncontrollably aggressive Valiev. However, when the outcome of the bout fell into the hands of the judges, it was in Katona’s favor.

READ MORE: Michael Chandler Warned Over Constant Conor McGregor “Mind Games”

After showcasing a brilliant performance, Katona has proved once again that he has the potential to be a great UFC fighter. It was Conor McGregor and some of his team members who helped him find his way to the promotion for the first time. Now he is again on the same team. If Katona happens to win the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter, he would become a contender who has emerged victorious in TUF two times. Moreover, it will help Conor McGregor overcome his bad reputation as a coach. What are your thoughts on Katona winning against Valiev? Do you think that it was an unfair decision, similar to Michael Chandler’s thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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