The Scout: McGregor vs Poirier 3

Posted on July 8, 2021July 10, 2021 | Posted by The Scout

Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier

Possibly the biggest trilogy in MMA history headlines UFC 264 with Conor McGregor (22-5) and Dustin Poirier (27-6) locked at one knockout win apiece from their two fights. This rivalry dates back to 2014, where Conor was an emphatic first round victor, while it was Poirier scoring a second round win in January at UFC 257.

The most recent bout between these two left many fans and pundits stunned. Most believed Conor would utilise his superior length and striking to control the fight, but it was Poirier who exploited the wide stance of McGregor, disabling him with repeated kicks to the calf. The result was a neutralised McGregor, his movement severely hampered, allowing Poirier to move in for the knockout blows.

McGregor will adjust in this return fight, the simplest fix will be to check more (if not all) of Poirier’s leg kicks. McGregor didn’t respect Poirier’s tactics in fight two and paid the ultimate price, there’s no chance he does the same again here. That last fight was just Conor’s third in over two years, so we can forgive a little ring-rust and expect sharper version of him in this fight.

Despite how it ended, Conor looked very dangerous in the opening round back in January, tagging Poirier a number of times, and even landing a few of his now-patented shoulder strikes in the clinch. Dustin knows full well that Conor will have gone to school on those calf kicks, so will he look to a new strategy altogether for fight three?

Poirier has the advantage in grappling, and took Conor to the ground in fight two (Conor was able to get back to his feet pretty quickly) and might being looking at this as his route to victory here. Conor’s cardio is always a concern as well, so shooting for a later-round submission might be on the cards, as seen when McGregor fought Nate Diaz and Khabib.

Does Conor still have the drive and hunger to compete at the highest level in the UFC? That’s what it all comes down to. His (enormous) ego was clearly hurt in the last fight, and the one thing we know is that Conor remains one of the smartest fighters the UFC has ever seen, we will see an improved version of him here.

There were a few hairy moments for Poirier in the first round of their last fight, and my bet is that a retooled Conor is able to make the necessary adjustments and land one of his devastating left hands. Early.

SUGGESTED BET
Conor McGregor by TKO/KO @ $2.40*

SUGGESTED BET
Conor McGregor to Win in Round 1 @ $5.50*

UFC 264 Multi

Tai Tuivasa (Match Result)
Stephen Thompson (By Points)
Conor McGregor (By KO/TKO)

*Odds correct as at 4pm, 7th July 2021.

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