Conor McGregor shoots down accusation of having fighters replaced on The Ultimate Fighter 31 roster

Conor McGregor already has everyone talking about The Ultimate Fighter 31 before the season has even started.

The manager Daniel Rubenstein used Twitter Friday to discuss a list fighters who are believed to be participating in the upcoming season TUF . (The actual cast list has yet to be revealed). Rubenstein claimed that McGregor used his influence and had three fighters removed to make way for McGregor friends. McGregor is set to serve as a coach on the season opposite lightweight contender Michael Chandler.

“Ken Cross, Mitch Ramirez and Brandon Jenkins all got pulled off to make room for 3 of Conor’s [guys] to be on the show,” Rubenstein wrote.

UFC fighters Gilbert Burns and Chris Curtis also addressed the allegations on Twitter, with Burns claiming that former PFL competitor Loik Radzhabov was one of the fighters bumped out to accommodate McGregor, and Curtis calling the rumor “definitely true.” That prompted McGregor to respond to Curtis directly in a tweet that has since been deleted:

@Actionman513 not true. I only know 1 guy on this show and he put himself forward for it. He is set now to face the No. 1 seed! I didn’t ask nor request nothing! And I certainly didn’t have people removed. I’m just tryna get back in the mix myself so f*ck off.

This is the second time that McGregor has served as a coach on TUF, with his first stint taking place in 2015 when he coached opposite Urijah Faber. McGregor had Artem Lobov, a close friend of his at the time, as one of his teammates that season.

Following the conclusion of the upcoming TUF season, McGregor will compete for the first time since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021 when he fights Chandler, with a date and location still to be determined.

Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/2/18/23605681/conor-mcgregor-shoots-down-accusation-of-having-fighters-replaced-on-the-ultimate-fighter-31-roster?rand=96749