What a performance by Dustin Poirier as he is the first man to knock out Conor McGregor in the UFC. A lot of back and fort exchanges during the fight but Poirier’s calf kicks played a huge factor in the fight. Even shoulder strikes were thrown, which McGregor used against Cerrone.
In the first round, Poirier shot a takedown which might have caught McGregor off guard. Poirier then landed a lot of leg kicks but McGregor just ignored it.
In the middle of the second round, McGregor looked to lose his lead leg and shown limp a bit. If one has a weak leg, the power from his punches decreases tremendously, add the fact that his mobility is compromised. Once he got clipped, it was the beginning of the end for Conor.
The commentators even said that McGregor did not respect the leg kicks of Poirier, it would be his demise in the later rounds which happened earlier that expected. After the fight, McGregor could barely walk, he was limping throughout. In an interview, McGregor gave props to Poirier’s performance and looks to come back soon as ring inactivity may have played a factor in his loss.
Conor Mcgregor has not fought since January of last year. That is 12 months of ring inactivity which is difficult for the fighter. It does not take away the smart game plan prepared by Dustin Poirier’s team.
Unlike their first fight, this fight had no bad blood and they respected each other all throughout. Mcgregor even donated $500k to the good fight foundation which was confirmed by Dustin Poirier himself.
Both fighters said that the rivalry is now 1-1, could we possibly see a trilogy of both these men immediately or will Poirier pursue a lightweight belt as he feels he is the best lightweight, considering Khabib is really retired.
The only three lightweight contenders coming off a win are Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler, and Dustin Poirier. It is highly likely that either of these contenders will fight for the vacant belt. Another name is Justin Gaethje but just lost to Khabib and probably needs a win before getting at title shot.
