“I almost even stand corrected a little bit…He pulled off one of the slickest armbar-to-triangle choke submissions transitions I've ever seen in my life.”

In the final episode of the TUF 31 Reaction show, Michael Chandler recaps how both the finale and the whole season went for him. He interviews one of the champs from the season who surprised him with his impressive performance in the cage. Then, while taking some viewer questions, Chandler outlines some of the ways that he would have done things differently if he were to start the season over again. When a viewer asks if he would coach TUF again, he provides his answer and also reassures viewers that he is looking forward to his future showdown against the opposing coach for the TUF 31 season.

“I’m going to finish the job. I believe that finishing what you started is the most important thing in life…I loved coaching these guys. I loved that these guys got the greatest second chance they could have ever asked for”

Now that the end of the season is near, the fighters start feeling the pressure and letting the rivalries boil over. Michael Chandler and his guest host talk about how the story behind each fight is part of what makes the sport so captivating. Then, after covering the finer points of this episode’s fight, the guys talk about how fighters in this sport need to be capable of controlled violence by being able to knock a guy out without bringing that energy out of the octagon. Finally, Chandler outlines reasons why coaching is so much more difficult than fighting on the mat.

“I think we just created this really cool thing to be able to make these guys believe in themselves…If you lead with love…you will be thwarted in very few ways.”

In this week’s fight, it’s a matchup between two veterans entering the octagon as longtime friends. These guys endure touching family calls for the first time since the beginning of the show, making for an emotionally charged pre-fight mood. Once the fight starts, spectators grow silent, turning this into a “quiet fight” where landed strikes are the loudest sound. That, Chandler says, completely changes the experience of the matchup…especially when his biggest hope was that neither fighter would be carted off in an ambulance afterward.

“Instead of thinking about the end result, just do everything you possibly can leading up to said end result and the end result will take care of itself.”

In this episode, Michael Chandler and his guest host review the next semi-final fight between the show’s participants. As team dynamics start to change, only one member of Team Chandler chooses to switch teams. Chandler talks about how that team switch panned out as well as how different cultures may have different approaches to their time in the octagon. Additionally, a few of the fighters finally get a taste of “home” by talking to people with the same shared experiences and home languages. That kind of comfort gives the fighters an extra boost.

“Coachable athletes…are the ones [who] are going to be the most successful because…after all is said and done, it shows humility. And without humility, it's really hard to be successful.”

Now that the first round of fights is complete, the semifinal matchups are revealed to the fighters. Team Chandler almost had a clean sweep this season, so most of the guys on the team will end up training alongside their next opponent. This first semifinal round features two fighters who formed a deep friendship through their shared experiences—even though one of them originally vowed he’d never make friends on this show at all. Chandler breaks down the backstory behind what really happened between these fighters and what may happen to the team moving forward.

“When [he] lost, we all lost…It’s an individual sport, but…my dudes loved wearing the red and loved [being on] Team Chandler. It was cool to watch.”

Although Team Chandler didn’t get the clean sweep they were looking for, hard losses can bring out the humanity in anyone—no matter what profession you’re in. Now that the team has finally suffered a defeat, Chandler shares insights into the emotional skills needed to set up the best headspace for his fighters both at the beginning and the end of this first round of matchups. As it turns out, the hardest part about losing is not always the physical wounds from getting beat down. Team Chandler stands strong—even after this season’s opposing coach tries to call out the guys in red at the end of the matchup.

“You want to play the team game. You want to be a part of the team until you’re not.”

There’s just one more matchup to go between the teams for this season, but everyone has started thinking about what’s next if Team Chandler gets a clean sweep. Chandler breaks down this episode’s fight while discussing the challenging perception others may have about his team, all of whom have been forced to navigate life after stepping out of the ring. Despite appearing to have “moved on” from a fighting career, the veteran team continues to dominate the octagon.

“I’ve always been a leader…but the one thing I didn’t prepare for was how much I was gonna care during every single second of the entire show…”

Although most members of Michael Chandler’s team have bonded through more time on TUF 31, there’s one team member who continues to alienate himself. As a “self-proclaimed diva,” this fighter insists on high expectations from his coach while insisting that he is on no one’s team but his own. This episode’s guest host coached in TUF 27, so he compares his coaching experience with what Chandler is going through in TUF 31…and they find that some things haven’t changed.

“You can either let a loss like this break you or [let it] help you break into the champion you’re supposed to be.”

Even though the fight for this episode was a close one, Team Chandler is STILL undefeated with a score of 6-0 for TUF 31. Chandler discusses the details of his near-showdown against McGregor after the fight as well as his rationale for how he handled it. Afterward, in a move that proves yet again that Coach Chandler shows up for his team, he made a point to care for his fighter’s headspace after an opponent’s mistake contributed to his ability to win.

“Ultimately, you’re fighting the heart and spirit of a man, too…The failures and the pain and the setbacks—that is what turns you into the man you’re supposed to become.”

By episode 4 of the TUF 31 Reaction Show, Team Chandler is 4-0 and his lineup of veteran fighters is proving that they have the experience to rule the octagon this season. Chandler and his guest host discuss honing in leadership skills by adjusting his coaching style and negotiating strategic fight circumstances for his team. Then our hosts speculate the details and outcome of the much-anticipated coach fight for this season.

“I think real men cry…real men show emotion…real men throw themselves into…insurmountable odds at times and it’s always going to end in tears whenever you fall short.”

In episode 3 of TUF 31 Reaction Show, Coach Michael Chandler delves into the humanity that he’s seeing emerge amongst the fighters throughout the show. He talks with his guest host about what it’s like to grind to be the best of the best, when who you know can only get you into the ring. After that, the match is up to you. Finally, Chandler dwells on how the sport of fighting highlights the fundamental conditions of being human.

“It’s brutal, but that’s the sport we signed up for…If you lose a fight, you need to get back into the ‘win’ column.”

More rivalries start to show up as the TUF 31 teams continue getting used to each other in the Ultimate Fighter house. Chandler discusses more about developing genuine connections with his team and realizes that it feels like there’s no coincidence that these veteran fighters ended up on Team Chandler. Additionally, Chandler talks about how he supports the members on his team who feel like TUF 31 is a “last chance” effort for them to get back into the UFC.

"I wanted to empower the mind and the spirit and the heart of the fighter…they had their tangible gifts. It was just about believing in themselves."

In the first episode of the TUF 31 Reaction Show, Michael Chandler and guest Russell Dickerson break down the already unfolding tension simmering in the season opener for The Ultimate Fighter Season 31. Chandler shares his behind-the-scenes knowledge of his team to give you a clearer picture of his strategy to best McGregor as a coach this season.

"This has everything to do with my guys under the banner of ‘Team Chandler’...it has everything to do with me showing up every single day."

The first episode of TUF 31 airs tomorrow, and Michael Chandler is here to bring you into the ring with him. As an accomplished UFC fighter and one of this season’s head coaches, Chandler shares a preview of what’s to come on the TUF 31 Reaction Show as new episodes air each week.