TUF 31 Ep.4 Recap: Conor McGregor’s Team Goes Down 4–0 to Michael Chandler, Coaches Clash Over Weight Class Negotiations; ‘The Notorious’ Invites Stephen Thompson to Train

The UFC’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ dropped yet another episode of the 31st season exclusively on ESPN. The return of Conor McGregor and the intense bouts and rivalries seem to have injected a new life into the reality TV show. Let us take a look at some of the biggest highlights from the 4th episode that aired on the 20th of June.

The 31st season of TUF may not have been able to set viewership records, but it has shown some great fights between the prospects and the veterans. Now, let’s see what transpired in the recent episode of the show.

Weight-class negotiations cause a clash between the coaches

Timur Valiev, representing Michael Chandler‘s team, was set to face Trevor Wells from Conor McGregor’s team. However, the fight ended up getting rescheduled, and UFC President Dana White allowed both teams to negotiate and come up with the weight class for the fight. Unfortunately, both parties had different desires.

Michael Chandler wanted the fight to take place in the featherweight category. Meanwhile, Conor McGregor wished the fight to take place in the bantamweight category because he and his coaches believed that Trevor Wells would find it easier to cut weight than Valiev. However, negotiations didn’t work out between the two teams.

READ MORE: After Conor McGregor’s USADA Failure, the Testing Agency Adds “Insult to Injury” for His TUF Counterpart Michael Chandler

Furthermore, Conor McGregor didn’t show up during the conversation and instead, sent coach Julian Darby to do the bidding on his behalf. In the end, they didn’t reach an agreement. Dana White ended up having a conversation with Michael Chandler, setting up the fight for a catchweight clash at 142 pounds.

Conor McGregor invites ‘Wonderboy’ to train

‘Notorious’ invited the two-time UFC title challenger and 40-year-old Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson to train with his team. He assisted the prospects as they were preparing for their future bouts. During the show, when the camera panned to McGregor, he spoke highly of ‘Wonderboy’, claiming that he is one of the best when it comes to distance management. Furthermore, the former double champion also praised the technical prowess of Thompson.

Stephen Thompson helped the team and engaged them in some timing and footwork drills. He also explained to them about the right time to get explosive during fights. While showing his team some of the movement drills, ‘Wonderboy’ claimed that Conor McGregor is also one of the best fighters in terms of his movement during fights.

A fourth loss for McGregor’s team

When we came to the business end of the episode, the fight between Timur Valiev and Trevor Wells went to distance. The fight was scheduled to be a two-round bout. Both fighters had a pretty good showing, starting off by trading kicks. However, Valiev was able to take down Wells multiple times during the fight. He also showcased some phenomenal striking prowess.

Trevor displayed some great defensive tactics when he was pitted against the cage. However, he found himself in trouble when Valiev hopped into a mount and rained down on McGregor’s teammate with ground-and-pound. In the end, the fight went in favor of Chandler’s team and Valiev was declared the winner by a unanimous decision. McGregor’s team is now 4-0 down.

What was your favorite moment from the fourth episode of TUF 31? Let us know in the comments down below.

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