Conor McGregor is the biggest star mixed martial arts has produced, and his Ultimate Fighter coaching stint was pure chaos. The former two-division UFC champion coached against Urijah Faber on TUF season 22 in 2015, memorably dropping watermelons from a helicopter onto a desert target during a coach's challenge that Faber ultimately won, with the trash talk between them becoming some of the funniest content the show ever produced. McGregor returned to coach against Michael Chandler on TUF 31 in 2023, ahead of a fight that never materialized after injuries derailed the matchup. Known for explosive left-hand power and relentless banter, McGregor's ferocious wit as a coach remains one of combat sports' most entertaining reality TV runs.
Conor McGregor's two stints as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter stand as some of the most chaotic, compelling television mixed martial arts has ever generated, and both runs remain talking points years after they aired.
McGregor, the 38-year-old Dubliner who became the sport's defining crossover attraction, holds a professional record of 22 wins and 7 losses and remains the only fighter in UFC history to hold world titles in two weight classes simultaneously. Fighting out of SBG Ireland in a southpaw stance, he carries a 74-inch reach and lands 5.27 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy — numbers that reflect the explosive left-hand power that made him a global phenomenon before he ever stepped near a reality show camera.
His first coaching appearance came on TUF 22 in 2015, opposite bantamweight legend Urijah Faber. The California Kid, now 47, compiled a 35-11 professional record across a career that defined an era at 135 and 145 pounds. The rivalry produced genuine entertainment, none more memorable than a coach's challenge that saw McGregor drop watermelons from a helicopter onto a desert target — a stunt Faber ultimately won — while the trash talk between the two generated some of the sharpest banter the show has ever broadcast.
McGregor returned in 2023 for TUF 31, this time opposite Michael Chandler. Iron, now 40 and fighting out of Kill Cliff FC, owns a 23-11 record and lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute, making him one of lightweight's most consistently dangerous finishers. The season was filmed with a fight between the two coaches as its centerpiece, but injuries ultimately prevented the bout from taking place.
Why it matters
- McGregor's two TUF runs bookend one of combat sports' most eventful careers and demonstrate his rare ability to generate storylines outside the cage.
- The Faber season remains a benchmark for coach-versus-coach rivalry and creative production in the show's history.
- The unresolved Chandler chapter leaves a notable loose thread in both men's career narratives.
