McGregor running out of title shot opportunities
Poirier pounds Irishman in lightweight tilt, further degrading his tough-guy reputation
Conor McGregor still has options.
Being the biggest draw in UFC pay-per-view history means that one loss won't force him down the lightweight rankings to take on up-and-comers. The Irishman's name is still too valuable to the UFC for that.
But after getting knocked out by Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, McGregor is nowhere near a title shot.
He's lost three of his last six fights, with a loss to Floyd Mayweather in boxing sprinkled in there, too. The last time he beat a truly elite contender was 2016 when he beat Eddie Alvarez for the 155-pound title.
That was arguably the most magical night in UFC history. McGregor became the first fighter to ever hold championship belts in two divisions at the same time, and images of him sitting on top of the cage with a belt on each shoulder as the adoring Madison Square Garden crowd chanted his name were broadcast all over the world.
However, in the last five years, McGregor has failed to reach the same heights as he did on that night in New York.
He has made a lot of money and continues to be extremely famous, but the air of invincibility has worn off. Maybe that started before that fateful night in New York, when he lost to Nate Diaz. He avenged that defeat, though, and somehow that only seemed to add to his legend.
The beating he took at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 is where the shine really started coming off, although even then it was possible to excuse McGregor's performance by noting that Nurmagomedov makes everybody look bad.
Saturday night felt different, though. Poirier is an incredible fighter, maybe the best lightweight in the world now that Nurmagomedov is retired.
What is McGregor, though? After getting knocked out by Poirier, we know he's not a true title contender. He remains a magnetic figure outside of the octagon. Inside the cage, though, it seems increasingly obvious that he's unlikely to ever reach the heights he hit back in 2016.
Here are five take-aways from Saturday night's fights:
1. WHAT NEXT?
Even UFC president Dana White admitted that McGregor can bounce back from the loss in a couple ways. He can recommit to training or he can walk away.
The man doesn't need to lock himself inside a cage and get punched in the face. He has enough money.
Somehow, though, it seems unlikely that McGregor will just walk away from the sport after such a tough loss.
If he continues, there are a couple options.
Only one of them really makes any sense, though, and that's a trilogy fight with Diaz.
They've fought twice, with each guy winning once. It only makes sense to run it back, and from a financial perspective, it's the biggest fight available.
Neither guy is anywhere close to a title shot, either, so it would just be a fun fight with low stakes.
That might be just what McGregor needs right now.
2. OTHER OPTIONS
The reality is, you can go down the list of the lightweight division's top-15 and match McGregor up against every single one of them without worrying about the fight being a dud.
A fight with Tony Ferguson might be a nice gift for fans. Like McGregor, Ferguson has seen his stock fall over the last year. He's still a big name, though, and it's one of those fights that you sort of assumed we would never get.
McGregor needs to get back in the octagon sooner rather than later.
It didn't really make a ton of sense that he had no answer for Poirier's calf kicks. Maybe they weren't a big part of MMA five years ago, but they are now.
It's possible that McGregor's inactivity just meant he didn't know to adapt.
3. CHAMPION, BASICALLY
What a performance from Poirier. He survived McGregor's early attack and butchered the Irishman's legs with kicks before pouring it on and getting the finish in the second round.
Poirier has now beat McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, Alvarez and Anthony Pettis.
He's matured into one of the finest lightweights in the world, and arguably a top-5 fighter in the division's history.
Honestly, he should probably have a belt around his waist after Saturday's win and only the strange reluctance to accept Nurmagomedov's retirement by the UFC prevented that from happening.
The next time Poirier steps into the octagon, he should be fighting for UFC gold, regardless of who his opponent is.
4. WEIRD TIMES
The UFC's lightweight division is arguably the deepest in the company and the top-5 is absolutely insane. But it's time for the UFC to accept that Nurmagomedov has retired and move on.
The only real reason to deny that was the possibility of a rematch between McGregor and Nurmagomedov, even though it seemed clear that it wasn't something the Dagestani champion was interested in.
5. DREAM DEBUT
Just a quick note to finish, but former Bellator champion Michael Chandler was pretty much perfect in his first fight in the UFC.
He was absolutely vicious right from the opening bell against Dan Hooker and secured a firstround knockout.
The guy is for real.