UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra just criticized Conor McGregor for replacing three TUF contestants with his own teammates. He said that TUF is a big deal and that McGregor has robbed them of a “life-changing experience”.
Serra said the following on the UFC Unfiltered podcast:
“I wouldn’t be here right now talking to you if it was not for TUF. TUF Season Four gave me a shot at the title, which who knows if I would have [gotten otherwise].”
Serra said that the show gave him a lot of exposure and showed off his talents.
“I was kind of undersized for 170 [lbs… but I won that tournament, people got to see my personality, which led to other things which I still do now like Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight and some fun stuff like this.”
Winning the series also gave Serra a shot at the UFC welterweight championship, despite his lackluster win/loss record. He surprised the world when he TKO’d GSP for the title in about three minutes — a win considered the biggest upset in UFC history.
“But it also gave me that shot at the title and you know it just changed my life,” he added.
Serra slammed Conor McGregor for his favoritism and taking away “three guys’ hopes and dreams” after the rumored changes he made after arriving to Las Vegas.
But despite the criticism, he’s still interested in what the show has to offer.
“I think it’s disgusting what he did but guess what, I kind of want to see how it goes down. He still got my money because I’ll watch him…..”
Serra praised McGregor’s arch-rival Khabib Nurmagomedov for his respectful demeanor in contrast to the Irishman.
“I mean I don’t like his character so much… I like the way Khabib carries himself and everything about the man.”
However, the veteran feels that McGregor “does have a way of making you watch this thing”
McGregor previously denied reports he removed three men from the team to make room for his own guys – just one of the late day replacements is a teammate of McGregor’s.