Conor McGregor has criticized the scoring system of the Ultimate Fighter reality television series after his team suffered their fourth consecutive loss. Michael Chandler’s team has been performing well, with Chandler himself winning all four of his team’s fights.
McGregor’s bantamweight prospect, Trevor Wells, was defeated by Timur Valiev via decision in a two-round bout. Unlike the usual three-round format in the UFC, the Ultimate Fighter stages two-round preliminary fights, with a third round only taking place in the event of a tiebreaker. This format aims to minimize damage to the fighters as they compete frequently leading up to the season finale.
McGregor expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of a third round in Wells’ fight with Valiev, particularly if the fight is close or if the rounds have been narrowly decided. He believes that adding a third round would be fairer. McGregor stated, “It’s very tough if it doesn’t go your way.”
Chandler, however, disagreed with McGregor’s opinion and believed that the right fighter won. He acknowledged McGregor’s perspective but maintained that he and the judges knew they had won the two rounds.
Despite their differences in the Ultimate Fighter scoring system, McGregor and Chandler are expected to face each other in a real fight before the end of the year. However, McGregor has yet to re-enter the USADA drug testing pool, which is a requirement before being cleared to fight. This means that the scheduled December 16 pay-per-view event is no longer feasible unless McGregor undergoes six months of random drug testing.