Laura Sanko is surprised Conor McGregor decided to coach The Ultimate Fighter again.
Dana White announced last week that ‘The Notorious’ and Michael Chandler will be the TUF 31 coaches, with a highly-anticipated matchup after the season. Sanko joined Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch on the TimboSugarShow to discuss the big announcement. The UFC commentator was asked if she was surprised about McGregor’s decision and had this to say:
“I am surprised because I don’t know. Conor is just at such a point I didn’t know if he wanted to bother with doing a show like that. That’s a ton of work and commitment, and I don’t want to say it’s beneath him, but yeah, I was surprised to see him want to go back to kind of that grassroots level, teaching guys, having to show up, be on a television schedule.”
McGregor first coached TUF in 2015 against Urijah Faber. The season was filled with entertaining moments, including an iconic exchange where ‘The Notorious’ said Faber looked like a retired skateboarder. Chandler has been well-spoken on the mic during his fighting career, which could lead to more unforgettable moments with the former two-division UFC champion in the upcoming TUF season.
Watch Laura Sanko on the TimboSugarShow below:
Laura Sanko believes The Ultimate Fighter needed Conor McGregor
The Ultimate Fighter has arguably fallen off, with the last few seasons dropping in entertainment value. With Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler coaching, TUF 31 will be must-see TV. During the same episode of the TimboSugarShow, Laura Sanko had this to say about the reality series needing a superstar like McGregor:
“He’s a different person than he was when he did it the first time, and the show needs it, to be honest. The show needs a big pop of star power to get people interested again… ”
The TUF 31 weight classes haven’t been announced, but the matchup between McGregor and Chandler will take place at 170 pounds. ‘The Notorious’ must pass six months of USADA drug tests before fighting again, which lines up perfectly with the TUF timeline.
The former two-division UFC champion last fought in July 2021, where he lost to Dustin Poirier for the second consecutive time. Meanwhile, Chandler is also coming off a loss to Poirier, which happened in November.
