Season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter features interim-UFC Featherweight Champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor and former WEC Bantamweight Champion “The California Kid” Urijah Faber as coaches for Team Europe and Team USA. The show airs Wednesday nights at 10pm on FOX Sports 1. Here is an introduction to the lightweights competing in the tournament for Team Europe, coached by Conor McGregor… Frantz Slioa made his way past the elimination round and into the TUF house with an official undefeated professional mixed martial arts record of 4-0. He was selected by the opposing team’s Coach Urijah Faber to take on Team USA’s Ryan Hall. Slioa was submitted by Hall in the first stanza and became the first lightweight to be eliminated from the tournament. Naturally a featherweight, he made the move up to 155-pounds to compete in the tournament. That said, his opponent Hall did not have the size advantage in that bout, as he himself is naturally a 145-pound athlete. Sascha Sharma was selected by Team USA’s Coach Faber to take on their own Chris Gurtzemacher in the tournaments second bout, in which he was dominated by “Girtz” for 10-minutes of action for a unanimous decision defeat. Team Europe’s Coach Conor McGregor was disgusted with Sharma’s performance and made no attempt to keep it a secret. I think the Indian-German fighter proved that he is nowhere close to being a UFC-calibre athlete and will unlikely ever find his way into the big show. Saul Rogers tains out of SBG Manchester and Team Colosseum, so he has spent some time training with Coach Conor McGregor prior to the show. He is considered by many to be the favorite to advance to the finals for Team Europe. After Marcin Wrzocek picked up the team’s first win, McGregor selected Rogers to take on Team USA’s Billy Quarantillo in the following match-up. Rogers dominated the Floridian for two rounds of action to pick up a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards. He evened things out for Team Europe at 2-2 heading into this weeks episode. Mehdi Baghdad takes with him a seven fight winning streak into the TUF house, where he has been pitted against Team USA’s Julian Erosa in this weeks episode, and the winner will put his team ahead in the tournament, as they are currently tied at two wins a piece. The native of France trains out of Black House MMA in Los Angels, CA and is a two-time RFA veteran, having finished both opponents by submission. He captured the RFA lightweight title in his latest contest and hopes to parlay it with a UFC contract. Abner Lloveras trains with veteran UFC heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga, so it’s safe to say this natural 155-pounder is amongst the strongest, if not the most strongest lightweights in the house. Earning a spot in the TUF house when his opponent suffered an in-fight injury, Lloveras takes with him a four fight winning streak. He is a heavy hitter who possesses good chokes and will be looking to put some Americans away when he enters the Octagon for his tournament match-up. Martin Svensson is a Cage Warriors veteran who brings with him a two fight winning streak into the TUF house. Like many of the competitors in the tournament, he naturally fights in the featherweight division but is stepping up to 155-pounds to be on the show. Standing at 6’1″, the Swede is very tall for the lightweight division, much like his natural weight class of 145-pounds. David Teymur is a K-1 experienced kickboxer who will hold an advantage on the feet against many of his opponents in the tournament. He is very talented on the feet and is a fighter who always looks for the finish. Riding a three fight winning streak into the show, the Swede is a natural lightweight and hopes to find success in the tournament and ultimately make waves in the UFC’s 155-pound division. Artem Lobov is a training partner of Conor McGregor’s at SBG Ireland who lost his elimination round bout and was gifted an entry into the TUF house, in my opinion. The Ireland-based Russian takes an official 11-10-1-1 NC pro record with him into the TUF house and he is not expected to make it very far in the tournament. Naturally a featherweight like many other competitors in the tournament, he is stepping up to the lightweight division to compete on the show. He will be at a size advantage if and when pitted against several members of Team USA.
