Who is Austin Hubbard? The fighter who picked up the latest win at TUF: McGregor vs. Chandler

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 31 contestant Austin Hubbard recently defeated Aaron McKenzie via a unanimous decision to clinch a spot for himself in the lightweight semi-finals. This victory also marked Michael Chandler's team defeating team Conor McGregor for the third week in a row. The veterans are now 3-0 up against the prospects.

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While Hubbard failed to secure a knockout like his teammates, Roosevelt Roberts and Cody Gibson, he dominated his opponent throughout the bout.

Austin Hubbard is one of many hopeful prospects who are looking to earn the coveted UFC contract that will change their lives. The 31-year-old American began his athletic career as a high school wrestler and football player. Later on, he started training in MMA while in college to keep himself fit before moving to Colorado and joining Elevation Fight Team.

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'Thud' has a professional record of 15-6 and competed in the UFC from early 2019 to mid-2021, where he racked up a record of 3-4. In his last fight, he was defeated by Vinc Pichel via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 34 and was released from the promotion about a year later.

Before the UFC, Austin Hubbard was the former LFA lightweight champion and competed in Caged Aggression, where he won the lightweight championship in October 2022, before signing on for this season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Austin Hubbard on learning lessons from Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler

Austin Hubbard is one of the few select mixed martial artists who got the opportunity to participate in the new season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and work under the tutelage of coaches like Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.

In an interview with Anna Garrett for the UFC, Hubbard was asked about the incredible opportunity he's received as a TUF contestant and what he hopes to learn from the highly accomplished coaches. He stated:

"As fighters, I think they’re [Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler] talented people. They both have great coaching staff, and I think I can learn from both... That’s also a huge opportunity in itself."

He further outlined what he's looking forward to learning from Chandler and McGregor, stating:

"He’s [Chandler] a talented fighter, he comes from a great team, and I feel like working with either coach is a win-win... Obviously, he’s [McGregor] a very talented fighter, and he’s done great things in his career. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot of things. I like the way he shows up mentally to his fights, so to learn and get insight on that would be cool."

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Edited by Dave