Conor McGregor burst onto the scene with a bang. Right from the start, he brought the heat, igniting drama, sparking controversy, and serving up trash talk that couldn’t be ignored. UFC Fight Night 46, featuring McGregor taking on Diego Brandão at Dublin’s 3Arena, marked his first major showcase. Thirteen thousand fans filled the arena just to catch a glimpse of his weigh-in, and when fight night finally came, he delivered in spectacular fashion—solidifying his status as a true star. In the meantime, Dana White was quick to point out just how much the Irishman has brought to the promotion’s success.
By the next year, the UFC had fully weaponized Conor McGregor’s charisma. Dana White announced he’d coach opposite Urijah Faber on The Ultimate Fighter 22, opening the door for lightweight fighters 21 and older. The season didn’t just break records—it exploded, riding McGregor’s unstoppable hype and magnetic personality, cementing him as a household name and proving the UFC had struck gold. Now, more than a decade later, a TUF alum is calling out White, exposing the behind-the-scenes tactics he used to milk every ounce of content from the show.
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Julian Erosa exposes behind-the-scenes strategy with Conor McGregor
Dana White drew criticism for pushing Conor McGregor to his limits, especially during the UFC 229 build-up. Khabib Nurmagomedov accused the promotion of deliberately hyping the feud between him and McGregor. Now, UFC featherweight contender Julian Erosa lifts the veil on those tactics. In a candid conversation with ESPN’s Andrew Whitelaw, ‘Juicy J’ detailed his journey on The Ultimate Fighter 22.
He revealed, “Everybody was just looking for entertainment within the groups of guys they were hanging out with. It always seemed like the production would put Faber and Conor in spots for a couple of minutes with awkward silences to see if they would kind of trip back and forth because they would be like, …We’re going to do the face-offs, or we’re going to do the weigh-ins, or we’re going to do this or that for the production crew.’”
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The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Faber spilled beyond the TUF house. In fact, the heated exchange between the two highlighted the real animosity driving the season. Meanwhile, Erosa competed as one of 16 lightweight contenders—eight from the U.S., eight from Europe—on a card that also featured the Irishman’s friend-turned-rival Artem Lobov. Behind the scenes, the production deliberately dialed up the tension.
Erosa recalled, explaining the setup, “So they would sit us in the back, ready to walk out, but they’d say, ‘All right, we’re going to sit here for five minutes. We’ll walk out in five minutes when we’re all ready.’ I was just thinking in my head, They’re just having us stand here for five minutes. Then Conor would say something, Faber would respond, and they’d kind of chip back and forth.”
Still, reality TV’s magic lies in building drama, tension, and suspense into every moment, providing fans, especially Conor McGregor’s, with exactly what they were waiting for.
Veteran fighter shares starstruck moments and respect for McGregor
Conor McGregor might spark some debate these days, but back when he was climbing the ranks to become the UFC featherweight champion, he revealed a whole new side of himself. While he’s famous for his bold trash talk when the cameras are rolling, behind the scenes, he has gained respect for his professionalism, strong work ethic, and unwavering loyalty. From 2013 to 2017, just before his epic showdown with Floyd Mayweather, the Irishman revolutionized MMA, capturing the world’s spotlight and motivating a fresh wave of fighters to step into the ring. Even with his intense demeanor, he always demonstrated respect for his opponents and held his coaches and training partners in high regard.
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The praise CMcGregor received came from Julian Erosa, who spoke with EssentiallySports about his experience working closely with him on the TUF 22 set. Erosa said, “It was fun, enjoyable, and I was slightly starstruck at the time. I was a big fan of Conor. When I heard about the coaches, I was kind of hoping I’d be on Conor’s side, just because I was such a big fan of his… He was a nice guy. We hung out with him quite a bit, and it wasn’t always a rivalry. There were many times when they would just come to the house and hang out with us, even if they were rival coaches, to pick their brains and talk to them. Everybody is pretty down to earth, and they seem to have a lot of mutual respect.”