DETAILS HAVE BEEN revealed for the finale of the 22nd season of The Ultimate Fighter, which features Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber as coaches.
The series, featuring US and European lightweight teams in opposition, is currently being filmed in Las Vegas. It’s now been confirmed that the finale will take place at the Palms in Vegas on Friday, 11 December.
That’s 24 hours before McGregor fights UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo down the road at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the main event at UFC 194.
Breaking with tradition, however, both coaches will not square off against each other for the finale, so McGregor won’t have to worry about fighting Faber a day before he faces Aldo — although it’s a challenge the Dubliner probably wouldn’t shy away from.
The TUF 22 cast has yet to be officially revealed, but according to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the event will feature a lightweight fight between Joe Lauzon and Evan Dunham, as well as Mike Pierce versus Ryan LaFlare in a welterweight bout.
Scheduling the finale for the same weekend as UFC 194 will be good news for those who are set to make the journey again to support McGregor in his 12 December title bout.
A day after last month’s meeting of McGregor and Chad Mendes at UFC 189, many Irish fans attended the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 21 — which was also held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
However, the majority appeared to be still too busy celebrating Conor McGregor’s victory as the overall attendance of 4,844 was much smaller than anticipated, so the decision to hold this TUF finale the night before — instead of after — a pay-per-view event featuring Conor McGregor may be more suitable to those in town for the weekend.
TUF 22: Team McGregor (Europe) vs. Team Faber (USA) will premiere on BT Sport 2 on Thursday, 10 September, at 4am Irish time.
That’s a really good business decision.
Bit unfair McGregor surely that he’ll have to turn up at this the night before his fight when he should be getting over the cut?
He won’t have to show up. The fighters will have their own coaches in their corner
I don’t like this at all. He’s energy levels are going be very low with cutting ..
The night before the biggest fight of his life he’s going be caught up in this malarky. Hope I’m wrong but this could be a bridge to far
Mcgregor won’t be there! Fighters that make the final have a full camp in there own gym and own coaches cornering them come the final.
I really don’t think this will phase McGregor in the slightest in fact I think he will grasp it with both hands and defeat the undefeated
I don’t think McGregor will be phased by this in fact I think he will relish this