You could say the same for Conor. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Ferguson fight.
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You could say the same for Conor. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Ferguson fight.
He could probably lose 3 in a row and still be a bigger draw than anyone else in MMA which is why he probably gets that free pass. I just really really wanna see a Holloway vs Connor fight so I’m biased that way.
I don’t think he’s totally finished. On another night, had he not been so arrogant he would have beaten Dustin.
Poirier just looked the better, sharper fighter, despite probably losing round 1.
Seeing people above say McGregor should have checked those leg kicks, but both McGregor and Poirier pointed out that he did check them, he just didn't check them fully enough to stop the kick going through. Listening to him after the fight, he made it sound like calf kicks were conceptually new to him, which isn't good enough really given they've been an increasing feature in the sport for a while. He could also have been more aggressive the couple of times he caught the kicks rather than ambling along as he was.
If McGregor wants to do anything vaguely significant in MMA again then he does need to stick to just MMA and get a hell of a lot more active. And even then, he might still just be an average fighter at this point. But a couple of fights a year isn't going to get him anywhere either way.
Also a shame that it wasn't for the title as Poirier deserves it.
Seeing people above say McGregor should have checked those leg kicks, but both McGregor and Poirier pointed out that he did check them, he just didn't check them fully enough to stop the kick going through. Listening to him after the fight, he made it sound like calf kicks were conceptually new to him, which isn't good enough really given they've been an increasing feature in the sport for a while. He could also have been more aggressive the couple of times he caught the kicks rather than ambling along as he was.
If McGregor wants to do anything vaguely significant in MMA again then he does need to stick to just MMA and get a hell of a lot more active. And even then, he might still just be an average fighter at this point. But a couple of fights a year isn't going to get him anywhere either way.
Also a shame that it wasn't for the title as Poirier deserves it.
Conor looked great.
Conor was on top until he wasn't.
Poirier was rocked.
People will always find a way to sugarcoat Conor somehow. People even tried to say he was good against Khabib.
He got absolutely starched, tactically and physically. Even casual fans know you check leg kicks and he just wouldn't. And they both caught each other a few times, Conor couldn't take it. Dustin could.
Conor was on top until he wasn't.
Poirier was rocked.
People will always find a way to sugarcoat Conor somehow. People even tried to say he was good against Khabib.
He got absolutely starched, tactically and physically. Even casual fans know you check leg kicks and he just wouldn't. And they both caught each other a few times, Conor couldn't take it. Dustin could.
Dustin literally said when Conor caught him with the left it hurt him and if he had pressed him he was in big trouble.
Superfight vs Tony, winner gets a title shot (undeserved of course), loser has to retire and get's pelted with rotten tomatoes. Proper WWE style
Guys I fell asleep and missed the fight. Lucky though because I was going to back Conor.
My mate just told me that 30 seconds into the first round it was evident Poirer would win it, anyone else agree?
My mate just told me that 30 seconds into the first round it was evident Poirer would win it, anyone else agree?
Nah, not really. Poirier took him down pretty quickly and there then followed an extended period of grappling and shoulder strikes against the cage. I'm pretty sure McGregor won round 1 though, so I'd hardly take that as evidence he was definitely going to lose.
It was once they went back striking that you saw the problem for McGregor, not least because the leg kicks quickly did notable damage.
Looking back, this seems to have definitely been the case in why he got the Cowboy fight. It was an easy way to for him to reestablish himself without the UFC having to worry about the humiliation of their cash cow losing two in a row. Now that Dustin has beaten him, Conor's last quality win was Diaz 2, nearly 5 years ago which suggest his relevance all this time was more down to hype than ability.
Poirier had some trouble with his accuracy in the first round, but that's about it. Conor looked like he usually does, but without the heart. He was looking at the clock as soon as Dustin took him down. He came in expecting a quick work like last time, not a war.
Not buying the leg excuse either. He didn't lose because his leg gave out, he lost because he was getting destroyed in the stand up just like the first Nate fight, only he couldn't panic wrestle his way out of a KO into a sub this time.
I thought Conor looked good in the first round. He dealt with the takedown well by getting it to the side of the cage and eventually standing it up again. He just made the fatal error of allowing the leg kicks to pile up and take their toll, after which it was fairly easy for Dustin to tee off on his head. I don't know if this was a coaching preparation problem where Kavanaugh didn't adequately prepare a counter measure for the kicks or whether Conor simply improvised his way through the first round with the expectation that one punch with his left would take care of Dustin.
I'd actually like to see Conor rematch with Max next - make it at 155 since Conor can't get back to 145 again.
Yeah, like I said. Dustin took it, Conor couldn't. That's why Conor got KO'd and Dustin didn't.
Anyway, in no way should people be saying Conor was "great" or "on top" last night. Conor always looks dangerous because we know what he's been capable of in the past.
Yes he did, he got caught once or twice. That doesn't equal Conor looking great. If you watch the fight again, not you specifically, Dustin never actually looks in any serious trouble. First sight of trouble for Conor and he got sparked.
It was a factor yeah, but Conor went on and on about how it turned his leg into a football in the presser. The hungrier fighter won, and I'm glad Dustin fought with his brain this time.
Just watched the fight and I’m not an MMA expert but I felt unsurprised when Poirer won.
McGregor did do well in the 1st round and landed some very good shots but those calf kicks Poirer was landing were eventually going to take its toll on Conor, especially when he wasn’t really checking them and allowing Poirer just to effortlessly land them. I don’t know but if McGregor couldn’t recognise this then surely Kavangh should have noticed that the more longer those kicks were going to continue then trouble was on the horizon. McGregor tends to fight southpaw as he’s got a strong left hook. The more that leading right leg was getting battered by Dustin, then Conor would have had no choice but to switch to southpaw which would have made him uncomfortable as it’s not his regular, natural stance.
It was a smart win for Poirer. The game plan going into fight was executed really well. It’ll be interesting to see if a 3rd fight was to happen.
McGregor did do well in the 1st round and landed some very good shots but those calf kicks Poirer was landing were eventually going to take its toll on Conor, especially when he wasn’t really checking them and allowing Poirer just to effortlessly land them. I don’t know but if McGregor couldn’t recognise this then surely Kavangh should have noticed that the more longer those kicks were going to continue then trouble was on the horizon. McGregor tends to fight southpaw as he’s got a strong left hook. The more that leading right leg was getting battered by Dustin, then Conor would have had no choice but to switch to southpaw which would have made him uncomfortable as it’s not his regular, natural stance.
It was a smart win for Poirer. The game plan going into fight was executed really well. It’ll be interesting to see if a 3rd fight was to happen.
He beat Eddie Alvarez after Diaz 2. I consider that his best ever performance
It was a good performance, but (as was subsequently proven) Alvarez probably wasn't really that good which sort of undercut the narrative that Conor beat a great fighter.
Don’t know why people would like to see Kabib v Conor again. There’s just no way Conor could ever beat him. He’s way to strong for him. It would just be another boring fight. Kabib should stay retired. He’s pretty much unstoppable. No one in his last 5 fights came even close to looking like a threat.
But you cant dismiss winning the title in a dominating fashion as not a quality win.
I worry about 155 without Conor and Khabib, a lot of the star power and interest is gone without them
Alvarez fought like an idiot though, and never used his wrestling.
I think Diaz 2 was in a way more impressive, as he showed he could adjust tactically and stick to a disciplined gameplan against someone who had beaten him. Whereas the Alvarez fight was a dominant performance within his wheelhouse against a less than stellar opponent.
Though even then, Diaz is hardly the best of the best himself.
Conor looked the sharper fighter in round 1 with his time and spacing very much on point. Even though Poirier got the takedown Conor looked good in the clinch getting some of those shoulders in [the Usman-footstamp was amusing] but his team clearly missed the leg kicks tactically which is really strange considering their prevalence in MMA now and it happened to be a big part of Poirier's game on the night. Poirier took some big shots but he ate it up in typical fashion, bided his time attacking the calf and eventually Conor was a sitting duck. He's never been a particularly durable fighter whether it be his stamina or chin and that's only going to get worse after his shenanigans of recent years, his style completely depends on explosiveness and ability to land the left so when dragged in to a war [any fight beyond 2 rounds really] he doesn't have the durability or - arguably - heart to keep going when the terrain becomes uphill. I mean, peak Conor was good enough to be that one dimensional of a fighter but when he's not anticipating leg kicks it's tough to see him as any serious force at lightweight.
Poirier deserves the title. There's nothing left for Khabib other than GSP.
Poirier deserves the title. There's nothing left for Khabib other than GSP.
Why would he fight at 135?
a lot of people in here seem to be underplaying how well and how cleverly Poirier fought last night as though it was some hopeless venture for a bum opponent. McGregor won the first round, albeit with damage building up, but he won it. There were things he did well. The leg kicks thing and McGregor’s stance (physical and attitude) are really a criticism of him so I don’t get how it’s a defence or ‘sugarcoating’ to point out a mistake he made either in preparation with his coaches or in the fight himself. Coming in with such a boxing stance is always a risk when the other guy can kick your leg, if he is caught between two sports that is dumb in my opinion.
Leg kicks when fighting a striker is kind of lesson 101. McGregor got out punched by Diaz in their first fight, the second time they fought McGregor’s leg kicks went from ~10% to 25% of his strikes landed. Diaz needed to start to check them. McGregor needed to last night and didn’t.
whether it was Diaz 2 or Alvarez I think we can all agree his peak was late 2016 and I don’t think how often he was fighting back then is a coincidence in that regard. Since then while he’s been hanging Out in Dolphins Barn or whatever he does others have been improving.
I don't hold Alvarez in particularly high esteem. Conor gets credit for winning the belt but during a period when the division was in transition and lacking in any dominant fighters.
I think 155 will be fine - plenty of talent there.
I think he meant 145.
Watched the fight live. As per usual, wanted to let it digest before I posted.
Firstly, thank you JoJo for beating that smelly cnut Jessica Eye. Can't stand her.
Surprised by the Dan Slapper fight. I still don't rate Chandler and truly believe he looked good mainly due to Dan looking absolutely awful. Chandler is a decent fighter but he is not elite. Just look at his record in the last few years at Bellator and remember that these opponents aren't exactly the level of the likes of Gaethje or Poirier. I think people were overestimating Hooker before the fight and now are doing the same for Chandler. He shouldn't get a title shot. He should have to fight either McGregor or Gaethje. The title fight is Oliviera v Poirier.
As for the main event, I thought McGregor was favourite as Poirier takes a lot of damage and McGregor has great accuracy in his strikes. I was surprised by the Dustin win but I did say that:
- McGregor power doesn't translate to anything above 145
- The key to victory for Poirier is leg kicks mixed with take down threats and tiring McGregor against the fence.
Poirier had the absolute perfect gameplan.
Now I'm no McGregor fan, in fact, I quite dislike him. However, I think it's ludicrous that people are playing the role of Captain Hindsight and saying us who thought McGregor was favourite were crazy. It's much easier to make a case for why McGregor would win against Dustin because of their respective fight styles.
And it's not like McGregor looked awful that he is finished as some are saying. He won the first round (probably) and looked ok but Poirier just had a better game plan. That's it. It happens.
People talking like he got mauled by Dustin like the Khabib fight. This was not that. At all.
Are Hooker, Gaethje, Kattar etc all also finished fighters? Because their losses were far worse than McGregor's.
I think people are comparing McGregor to his FW version. He is not that guy at LW but I still think he has worth to the organisation. He is not suddenly some bum fighter because he lost to a guy who nearly himself submitted Khabib, potentially the best LW of all time.
Have some perspective people.
Although I love the thought of Dana punching holes in the wall backstage as he loses that big pay day.
He was so smug saying Khabib might come back and now has done a complete 180.
At least he's put an end to illegal streaming...
Firstly, thank you JoJo for beating that smelly cnut Jessica Eye. Can't stand her.
Surprised by the Dan Slapper fight. I still don't rate Chandler and truly believe he looked good mainly due to Dan looking absolutely awful. Chandler is a decent fighter but he is not elite. Just look at his record in the last few years at Bellator and remember that these opponents aren't exactly the level of the likes of Gaethje or Poirier. I think people were overestimating Hooker before the fight and now are doing the same for Chandler. He shouldn't get a title shot. He should have to fight either McGregor or Gaethje. The title fight is Oliviera v Poirier.
As for the main event, I thought McGregor was favourite as Poirier takes a lot of damage and McGregor has great accuracy in his strikes. I was surprised by the Dustin win but I did say that:
- McGregor power doesn't translate to anything above 145
- The key to victory for Poirier is leg kicks mixed with take down threats and tiring McGregor against the fence.
Poirier had the absolute perfect gameplan.
Now I'm no McGregor fan, in fact, I quite dislike him. However, I think it's ludicrous that people are playing the role of Captain Hindsight and saying us who thought McGregor was favourite were crazy. It's much easier to make a case for why McGregor would win against Dustin because of their respective fight styles.
And it's not like McGregor looked awful that he is finished as some are saying. He won the first round (probably) and looked ok but Poirier just had a better game plan. That's it. It happens.
People talking like he got mauled by Dustin like the Khabib fight. This was not that. At all.
Are Hooker, Gaethje, Kattar etc all also finished fighters? Because their losses were far worse than McGregor's.
I think people are comparing McGregor to his FW version. He is not that guy at LW but I still think he has worth to the organisation. He is not suddenly some bum fighter because he lost to a guy who nearly himself submitted Khabib, potentially the best LW of all time.
Have some perspective people.
Although I love the thought of Dana punching holes in the wall backstage as he loses that big pay day.
He was so smug saying Khabib might come back and now has done a complete 180.
At least he's put an end to illegal streaming...
You’re probably right !
Basically pre-Mayweather. I'm still salty that we were robbed of an epic battle with Aldo. He probably would've still won because of his advantages in size, speed and power, but if Aldo fought with his head like Dustin today and utilized his brutal leg kicks to even the odds, it would've been a spectacle. That was when he looked absolutely invincible.
Conor looked on top until the momentum turned. The only real take away is that he hit Poirier well and even though Poirier said he was hurt afterward it didn't look like he had enough power to knock him out. He is relatively unproven beyond that
It has always been clear as day that Conor has weaknesses - karate stance, less wrestling experience, poor cardio - but he has mostly knocked people out before they could effectively exploit them. Had the skill to land the shots last night but not the power to knock Dustin out
EDIT: agree with what someone said above - calf kicks are a major part of the meta in the last few years and that is the most notable thing for me, Conor being out means he has missed this evolution. Surprised Kavanagh missed it to be honest - DC saying on commentary that Dustin's gym use the calf kick heavily
It has always been clear as day that Conor has weaknesses - karate stance, less wrestling experience, poor cardio - but he has mostly knocked people out before they could effectively exploit them. Had the skill to land the shots last night but not the power to knock Dustin out
EDIT: agree with what someone said above - calf kicks are a major part of the meta in the last few years and that is the most notable thing for me, Conor being out means he has missed this evolution. Surprised Kavanagh missed it to be honest - DC saying on commentary that Dustin's gym use the calf kick heavily
Theres talent but with no Khabib, Conor or Tony (soon imo) then the danger is they trade wins and everybody lowers each others stock without making names for themselves.
Like where LHW is at right now
So did Dana catch the fecker or not?
Dana must be fuming.
His cash cow lost and the illegal streamers provided better service than ESPN+. What a night.
Conor is not the same fighter he once was due to a few factors
First, simply because when he was coming up through the ranks and had to literally earn contender matchups and title shots, he had the hunger to ''become somebody'' in the mma world.
Unless the person is absolutely obsessed with the sport like GSP was or has a seemingly unbreakable mindset like Jon Jones, it's very hard to win win and win without losing here and there.
Second, because of the inactivity. He himself mentioned that as a reason for this loss. Getting the activity back is very important.
But lastly, and this is the most important one for me, his fighting style simply was perfect for the featherweight division. He can do very well at lightweight and even at welterweight under the right set of circumstances, but maybe not to the extent where he was doing at featherweight. At lightweight guys have either the same speed as him or the same knockout power as him, so it can be harder to take shots or to maintain a high pace for long. At FW he was often the bigger, stronger man.
Mcgregor is a fast starter who used to end fights early, a little bit like Rumble Johnson.
First, simply because when he was coming up through the ranks and had to literally earn contender matchups and title shots, he had the hunger to ''become somebody'' in the mma world.
Unless the person is absolutely obsessed with the sport like GSP was or has a seemingly unbreakable mindset like Jon Jones, it's very hard to win win and win without losing here and there.
Second, because of the inactivity. He himself mentioned that as a reason for this loss. Getting the activity back is very important.
But lastly, and this is the most important one for me, his fighting style simply was perfect for the featherweight division. He can do very well at lightweight and even at welterweight under the right set of circumstances, but maybe not to the extent where he was doing at featherweight. At lightweight guys have either the same speed as him or the same knockout power as him, so it can be harder to take shots or to maintain a high pace for long. At FW he was often the bigger, stronger man.
Mcgregor is a fast starter who used to end fights early, a little bit like Rumble Johnson.
Fantasy matchmaking:
Poirier X Gaethje 2 for the belt
Chandler X Charles Oliveira to see who is the number 1 contender after that
Tony Ferguson X Conor because we should have seen that matchup a few years ago and now seems like the perfect time
Dan Hooker X Paul Felder 2
Probably none of that will happen but that's my dream
Poirier X Gaethje 2 for the belt
Chandler X Charles Oliveira to see who is the number 1 contender after that
Tony Ferguson X Conor because we should have seen that matchup a few years ago and now seems like the perfect time
Dan Hooker X Paul Felder 2
Probably none of that will happen but that's my dream