Conor McGregor returned to the Octagon after more than a year. All eyes were on him as the world watched to see what McGregor shows up in Abu Dhabi. Is it the McGregor of yesteryear who was a knockout artist or the McGregor of later years who had lost his shine in the fighting game? He was the first to appear when Poirier took McGregor’s best shots, absorbed the initial pressure, and then activated the pressure to knock out McGregor.
It was the first time that McGregor lost a fight by technical knockout. Poirier surprised McGregor at first with his fight when he managed to take him down. Wrestling is said to be McGregor’s kryptonite, but the Irishman made a good transition and stood up to give Poirier a few more punches.
However, Poirier was landing constant kicks to the calf and was hurting McGregor. When the match progressed to the second round, there was a limp in McGregor’s movement.
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Poirier changed the pace in the second round and changed the narrative of the fight. Now it was Dustin who was driving the fight when he started throwing punches. McGregor tried to control Poirier’s kicks but couldn’t stop his punches.
In the middle of the second round, Poirier upped the ante and landed a volley of shots on McGregor. A right hook was the one that dropped Conor and it didn’t take long for referee Herb Dean to stop the fight.
“I’m happy but not surprised,” were Poirier’s words after the fight.
“I got to work. Conor took this result very professionally. He is a professional. We are 1-1. We may have to do it again. I’m just happy. I am happy where I am. I am happy with the person I see in the mirror. “
Conor lamented the lack of action he has seen in recent years.
“It’s hard to get over being inactive for long periods of time,” McGregor said after the fight.
“It’s just that. It just wasn’t as comfortable as I needed to. I have to dust it off and go back and that’s it and that’s what I’ll do.”
But he promised to be back in the Octagon in 2021.
“Of course,” McGregor confirmed.
“I need activity, guys, come on. You don’t get away with being inactive in this business and you do. I’ll take licks. It’s hard to swallow. “
There was another result that will be discussed after the event and it is Michael Chandler knocking out Dan Hooker.
Chandler’s UFC debut couldn’t have been better. The American was fighting for the first time in the UFC and was up against a top lightweight at Hooker. But Chandler showed why he is so highly regarded in the mixed martial arts community. ‘Iron’ seemed to be the one pushing the action as Hooker tried to keep his distance.
However, Chandler landed a left punch that landed flush on Hooker’s chin. The Kiwi fell quickly and Chandler seized the moment and began putting the finishing touches. Hooker ducked as Chandler continued to punch him in the head. Referee Marc Goddard had seen enough and stopped the fight when Chandler called out all the lightweights.
He did a passionate promotion in which he fired warning shots at Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, and current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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