Michael Chandler Defends Conor McGregor's Coaching on TUF, Getting 'Raw Deal'

Talk about unlikely allies ... UFC star Michael Chandler believes Conor McGregor is getting an unfair shake when it comes to his reputation as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter!

"I  think Conor's getting a little bit of a raw deal when it comes to how much he was there or wasn't there [with his team]," Chandler told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

If you haven't seen the show ... Conor and Michael are coaching opposite one another on TUF 31, and a decent amount of time has been spent on The Notorious being absent for certain team activities, including weigh-ins.

But, Chandler says that's not really fair to Conor.

"Showing up for the weigh-ins isn't that big of a deal and they kept asking me about it so obviously I kept talking about it. I don't think the results would be any different, to be honest with you."

FYI, Chandler's team (made up of former UFC fighters looking to make a return to the promotion) is 6-0 against McGregor's squad (made up of prospects).

It's somewhat surprising to see Michael defend Conor. Things got physical between the men on last week's episode of the show, resulting in McGregor shoving Chandler, causing Dana White to sprint into the Octagon (can't fight for free!).

Michael walked us through the dustup with Conor and gave us an update on where things stand with the fight negotiations between the men.

There's more -- we also talked to Mike about Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Some people like the fight, while others hate it. Count Mike in the group of people ready to grab their popcorn.