“The Ultimate Fighter 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler” returned Tuesday for Episode 3 and featured an exciting fight to close things out.
Episode 3 also featured a pretty cool moment between Conor McGregor and a young UFC fan.
The season runs until Aug. 15 with the live finale expected later this year. The promotion also intends on coaches McGregor and Michael Chandler squaring off in the months that follow the conclusion of the season.
Scroll below for a recap of Episode 3 and make sure to check out an exclusive insider look from TUF 31 cast member Kurt Holobaugh, who will peel back the curtain on MMA Junkie the morning after each episode airs.
McKenzie's fight plan
To kick off the episode, McGregor is singing and in a good mood as they prepare for Aaron McKenzie’s fight with Austin Hubbard. McKenzie is focused on getting inside Hubbard’s punching range to take him down since Brazilian jiu-jitsu is his specialty. McKenzie is the current LFA lightweight champion, while Hubbard was the LFA 155-pound champ before him.
“He’s cold, he’s calm, he’s calculated,” McGregor says of McKenzie. “A lot of people talk about speed or power. People don’t talk about calmness enough.”
'Life's kicking my butt every corner'
Back at the house, Hubbard talks about the pressure of being successful because of his family. He gets emotional speaking about the recent death of his brother and how he and his wife lost a baby.
“It’s just been a constant crappy story, I’ll say,” Hubbard says. “Life’s kicking my butt every corner, it seems like, so to have this opportunity is huge.”
Hubbard talks about his job working for a restoration company and having a 13-year-old daughter. Hubbard went 3-4 in his previous UFC stint before he was cut in 2022. “This opportunity would be huge for me. It’s my chance at redemption,” he says.
Both Chandler and Hubbard speak confidently about the matchup against McKenzie.
“He’s bigger, he’s faster, he’s stronger, he’s more talented, he’s more well rounded, and he deserves it more,” Chandler says.
Hubbard adds: “I feel like I can do it all, and I can hold my own with the best in the world. I always have an advantage, in a sense, because I can mix it up so well. … I don’t foresee him bringing anything to the table that I haven’t already seen or experienced. I always come prepared, so he will need to bring his A-game to have any chance.”
$1,200 for toys?!?
McGregor pulls out a fat wad of hundred-dollar bills and pays Romero $1,200 for the toys.
Not bad, kid!
Hubbard vs. McKenzie weigh-in
It’s weigh-in day, and Hubbard tips the scale at 156 pounds, while McKenzie registers 155.5 for McKenzie.
Fight day arrives with both men primed and ready.
“I don’t think there’s anybody that can shut my game down. I’m gonna take Austin’s will to fight,” McKenzie says. …
“When I close my eyes and visualize this fight, it’s always me getting my hand raised at the end,” Hubbard says.
The fight: Aaron McKenzie vs. Austin Hubbard
Weight: Lightweight
Round: Quarterfinal
Team McGregor fighter: Aaron McKenzie
Team Chandler fighter: Austin Hubbard
Result: Austin Hubbard def. Aaron McKenzie via unanimous decision
In Round 1, McKenzie gets control in the first round, landing some nice shots before clinching with Hubbard against the cage. McKenzie controls the back for about a minute but can’t get Hubbard down. He then gets too high, which allows Hubbard to escape out the back. Now Hubbard has his back standing, but McKenzie turns into him and they separate quickly. Both men throw nice punches in the center of the cage. Hubbard lands the best punch of the round with about a minute left, a big uppercut that stuns McKenzie and allows Hubbard on top, raining down punches and elbows. McKenzie is bloodied up. It’s a dominant way to finish the round for Hubbard.
Both men come out aggressively in the opening minute of the second round. McKenzie is landing a nice combination of leg kicks and punches. It looks like the leg kicks cause hesitation from Hubbard, which allows McKenzie to close distance in the clinch against the fence. But again McKenzie cannot get him to the mat, and Hubbard manages to wizzer his way into a controlling position and gets the fight down to the mat. He’s in top position. Hubbard spends the final 2 minutes throwing ground and pound to finish the fight. It’s an easy decision for the judges after two rounds.
“Austin went out there and just put an absolute clinic on,” Chandler says. “Picking him up and putting him down, controlling him, breaking his will. It was an awesome performance.”
“This moment feels great, happy to start out with a victory, but the work’s not finished,” Hubbard says. “I came here to win the show, so two more fights, and I need two more victories before I’m happy.”
“Things didn’t go my way tonight, because he fought better and tonight he was the better fighter.” McKenzie says.
Next week's fight
On Episode 3, with the score 3-0 in favor of Team Chandler, bantamweights Trevor Wells (Team McGregor) and Timur Valiev (Team Chandler) square off in a quarterfinal matchup.
