Poirier rides high, Mcgregor aims low
As he lay against the cage hurling insults at Dustin Poirier’s wife, you couldn’t help but think about how much has changed for Conor Mcgregor.
In the immediate aftermath of his first UFC defeat to Nate Diaz way back in 2016, Mcgregor showed the world a different side of himself. He took the loss in stride and showed a remarkable level of restraint, vowing to improve in his post-fight interview. That was worlds away from the way Mcgregor handled his loss to Poirier in Saturday night’s main event at UFC 264 in Las Vegas.
Sure, losing because you’ve broken your leg is frustrating, but being a sore loser and insulting your opponent’s wife doesn’t do you any favours. Beyond the most hardcore Mcgregor supporters, was there anyone who watched the Irishman’s post-fight antics and felt compelled to root for him if and when he returns to the octagon?
Mcgregor has an unmatched ability to promote fights. Give him a microphone and he’ll convince people to tune in.
As he lay against the octagon cage on Saturday night hurling vile insults at one of MMA’S more upstanding fighters, though, it sure didn’t feel like the work of some master promoter. It felt like a desperation move by a once-great fighter who has beaten only one opponent in almost five years.
1. CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE
We’re going to talk a lot about Mcgregor here, but one of the worst things about the way the fight ended was that it overshadows just how great Poirier looked.
The Louisiana native was in complete control by the time the first round ended and had landed some really big shots. Damage was being done and momentum was fully on Poirier’s side. A second-round finish seemed like a likely outcome.
Poirier is going to fight Charles Oliveira for the title next. He deserves that shot, and a win would likely place him behind only Khabib Nurmagomedov in the hierarchy of great all-time UFC lightweights.
If the end of the fight was unsatisfying to some, that shouldn’t take away from the performance from Poirier that came before it.
2. AGAIN?
From Mcgregor to Poirier to UFC president Dana White, it seemed clear in the hours afterward that we are likely going to get a fourth matchup between these two at some point.
Poirier is up 2-1 in the trilogy, winning twice in 2021. If the UFC feels like more closure is needed, so be it.
But it does feel like some of the mystery is gone here. Mcgregor faces a long recovery from his broken leg, and Poirier is going to be able to spend that time training and getting better. There already seems to be a fairly sizable gap between the two inside the octagon, and that only figures to get wider.
On a personal level, it’s understandable that Mcgregor wants revenge. There’s just not that much evidence to suggest he’ll get it, even if he’s granted a fourth crack at Poirier.
There are better options out there for getting his career back on track.
3. WHO?
The most obvious candidate for Mcgregor’s next opponent is Nate Diaz.
The two fought twice in 2016, with each fighter winning once. It was a rivalry that had everything — animosity, a fascinating contrast in styles and two rabid fan bases who love their fighter no matter what.
In a meritocracy, neither Diaz nor Mcgregor would truly be in line for any sort of title shot. They’re both entertaining fighters who seem to struggle against the elite-of-the-elite. There’s nothing wrong with that, but they seem to bring the best out of each other as adversaries.
A third-and-final matchup between the two makes just as much sense now as it did in 2021.
4. DOES ANY OF THIS MATTER?
It’s a fair question to ask. Maybe I’m being a little precious about Mcgregor crossing lines with his attempts at trash-talking Poirier.
This is the fight game, nobody should expect anyone to be nice to one another.
Chances are Mcgregor is going to draw a huge audience whenever he returns to the ring or the octagon.
Jake Paul seems to be making a lot of money off his “boxing career” and nobody is pretending he’s the second coming of Floyd Mayweather.
If the point of fighting is to make money, nobody is better at that than Mcgregor. It sounds cynical, but maybe that’s really the point and anyone pretending otherwise is just naive.
5. THERE WERE OTHER FIGHTS
Gilbert Burns beat Stephen Thompson in an underwhelming fight.
Tai Tuivasa knocked out Greg Hardy and a lot of people were very, very happy about that.
Sean O’malley continued his ascent with a dominant win over the tough-as-nails Kris Moutinho.
Honestly, UFC 264 was a solid fight card. There was lots to enjoy.
Mcgregor just tends to overshadow everything else in the MMA world.