MMA icon Conor McGregor has taken to his official Instagram account and put forth a video that features highlights from his rematch against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on January 23rd, 2021. Despite out-boxing Poirier early in the fight, McGregor’s lead leg was eventually compromised by Poirier’s leg kicks.
The tide turned in round two of their fight, as Conor McGregor’s lead leg (right leg) was severely damaged. And Poirier found an opening to knock McGregor out with a beautiful punching combination along the fence. Alongside the Instagram video posted by Conor McGregor, is a message wherein he has provided a detailed breakdown of the fight:
The first fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier was contested in the UFC featherweight division. McGregor faced Poirier at UFC 178 in September 2014, defeating Poirier via first-round TKO.
The ensuing years witnessed both McGregor and Poirier scale great heights of success. The Notorious One captured the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles, whereas The Diamond won the interim UFC lightweight title.
Fast-forward to 2021, and the UFC 257 fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier – this time contested in the lightweight division – turned out to be a truly exciting, back-and-forth rematch.
Conor McGregor was praised by many for his excellent grappling on the ground, as he stopped Poirier from doing damage after giving up a takedown. McGregor was also credited for his clinch-work and outstanding pugilism.
Regardless, the Irish megastar failed to correctly check the leg kicks (calf kicks, in particular) that Poirier repeatedly threw to his lead leg and damaged McGregor’s peroneal nerve. The end of their UFC 257 bout saw Poirier win via second-round TKO, becoming the first fighter to knock Conor McGregor out in a professional MMA fight.
Conor McGregor’s willingness to accept defeat and improve is the hallmark of a true champion
The consensus in the combat sports world is that Conor McGregor’s next fight will most likely be the trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. Win or lose, Conor McGregor has always been credited for being a true fight game student.
Conor McGregor’s detailed Instagram post has reiterated the same, as social media users have been lauding McGregor for the analytical and honest breakdown of his UFC 257 loss. The vast majority of MMA fans and experts have been largely appreciative of Conor McGregor due to his ability to deal with defeat, learn from it, and improve.
McGregor’s self-critique included multiple notable points. Among those were adopting a boxing stance against Poirier in preparation for the Manny Pacquiao boxing match, the positive development of not needing the stool between rounds, and having power in his punches even after the wrestling and clinch exchanges, to name a few.
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