McGregor promises Poirier won’t have 264 answers
Conor McGregor is confident he’s made the necessary adjustments to defeat Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) suffered his first career knockout loss in January when he succumbed to Poirier’s power in a second-round TKO at UFC 257. Fast-forward to Saturday, and the pair are set to run it back again in a defining trilogy bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on payper-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Poirier’s calf kicks and boxing proved to be the difference when the pair shared the octagon less than six months ago. McGregor has insisted since the moment the fight was over that he knows what went wrong and how he needs to adjust to get his hand raised against “The Diamond.”
He’ll have the chance to back up those claims at UFC 264, and he thinks it’ll be an eye-opening performance.
“I’m going to knock him out,” McGregor told Rolling Stone magazine. “Without question. I’m the most dangerous I’ve ever been. I’m the most focused I’ve ever been. And I’m going to take him out. He won’t have any way to deal with what I’m bringing on Saturday, and that’s it.”
Although he did take damage in the rematch, McGregor was eager to get back in the octagon as soon as possible after the loss. “The Notorious” has preached the importance of activity throughout his career, and he’s now preparing to have a second fight inside a calendar year for the first time since 2016.
Repetition is the key to thriving, and McGregor is confident the relatively quick turnaround will be to his benefit. “I’m always better when I’m busy,” he said. “I always say that. So, it’s going to help. When I’m active, I’m fresh, I’m dangerous, and I’m hyper-focused.”
If McGregor is able to successfully right the wrongs of his previous encounter with Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC), a plethora of options open up for him going forward.
McGregor revealed Thursday to BT Sport it is his plan to fight 155-pound king Charles Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) next.
“Yeah, it’s Oliveira next,” McGregor said. “We’ll dance with the Brazilians again, and I look forward to it.”
However, McGregor’s not overthinking his next play.
Poirier is a major obstacle in the way, but McGregor said he’ll be ready to talk about the future once he emerges on top from the trilogy.
“Any man that fights me three times, God bless them,” McGregor said. “After I steamroll my opponent, I’ll decide what I want next.”