Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) paired interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor with former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) 145-pound kingpin Urijah Faber, then asked them to navigate a group of up-and-coming fighters through the murky waters of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 22.
But unlike most seasons, they won't fight at the series finale (or shortly thereafter).
That's because the promotion is banking on a big-money fight between McGregor and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, ignoring cries from the "Notorious" one to let him "maul" the on again, off again bantamweight title contender, who also got a nice rub from sharing the small screen with the Irish import:
McGregor talked to FOX Sports:
"I said, 'I'm not doing this stupid show unless you give me [Faber] to slaughter. They didn't do it. I wanted him Oct. 24 in Dublin. Dublin's the show I built. Even though I'm not on that card, I'm generating revenue, so they can be grateful for that. I've already resurged his career at The Ultimate Fighter. It's the first time he's seen this big FOX studio. He walked in, he was like, 'Wow!' I'm sure his Team Alpha Male Gym, the membership is booming."
Joe Duffy -- who also shares history with McGregor -- will handle the headlining duties for the upcoming Dublin card.
As for Faber, he'll return to the 135-pound division to scrap with bantamweight stalwart Frankie Saenz on the "Aldo vs. McGregor" undercard (see it). "The California Kid" moved back up to featherweight last May, but dropped a decision to Frankie Edgar in Manila.
For more on the current season of TUF click here.