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TUF 31: Another Conor McGregor Fighter Knocked out as Viewership Disappoints

The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 has started disastrously for Conor McGregor's team.

Daniel Wade

TUF 31: Another Conor McGregor Fighter Knocked out as Viewership Disappoints
TUF 31: Another Conor McGregor Fighter Knocked out as Viewership Disappoints /

Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter feels different than most in years past because it marks the return of the “Notorious” Conor McGregor. The season will culminate in McGregor taking on the always-exciting Michael Chandler. For now, they face off as coaches trying to lead a group of fighters to a contract with the UFC.

READ MORE: Andre Ward Open to Fighting Jake Paul, Exhibition or Professional

The bad news is, even with the UFC’s most famous fighter in the mix, the show has disappointed in terms of viewership. According to the Nielsen ratings, the premiere of TUF 31 failed to reach even half the audience when McGregor coached the first time around against Urijah Faber in 2015. Viewership tends to follow a downward trend as seasons extend, so this doesn't bode well for TUF 31.

Episode two ended with a bang as Team Chandler’s Cody Gibson delivered a vicious flying knee knockout to Team McGregor’s Mando Gutierrez. It was another overwhelming loss by a McGregor prospect.

Gutierrez could never get any kind of offense going against the much taller Gibson. Experience paid dividends for Gibson as he prevented several takedown attempts and dodged a few flurries. The final charge from Gutierrez led him directly into the brutal knee that ended his UFC dreams.

This was a blow for Team McGregor as Gutierrez was the group’s number-one ranked bantamweight. Gibson pulled off the upset as the fourth-ranked 135-pounder on Team Chandler.

Episode one of TUF ended in a similar fashion last week. Veteran Roosevelt Roberts recorded the fastest knockout in Ultimate Fighter history. It took him less than ten seconds to finish team McGregor’s Nate Jennerman.

McGregor is the main attraction, but this season has shown that his presence alone can’t carry the ratings. There have been flashes of the former two-division champ’s eccentric personality, but the fireworks have been minimal between him and Chandler.

READ MORE: Dana White Gets Brutally Honest About Conor McGregor's UFC Future

With all of the cord-cutting in younger demographics, if McGregor isn’t enough, the UFC’s flagship series could continue to sink.

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Daniel Wade
DANIEL WADE

Daniel Wade has been covering sports for almost ten years writing for multiple publications and hosting several podcasts. He has hosted the Locked On Chargers podcast for over 5 years and has had guest appearances covering the NFL for ESPN, Fox and other major outlets across the country. Dan has followed the UFC obsessively over the past several years and is ecstatic to break into the world of MMA writing. 

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