Conor McGregor fell to 3-3 overall in his last six bouts as Dustin Poirier won by TKO in UFC 257 Saturday night. Poirier attacked with a flurry of shots in Round 2 as he avenged his loss to McGregor in 2014.
“I’m happy, but I’m not surprised,” Poirier said following the win. “We’re 1-1. Maybe we have to do it again.”
McGregor entered this Saturday’s fight as a heavy favorite, listed at -305; Poirier was +250 in most books. The match lasted two minutes, 34 seconds.
McGregor was the aggressor in Round 1, landing some blows early on. Poirier did get on the inside late in Round 1, though, and added a takedown soon after. McGregor got up quickly.
What stood out — during and after the fight — was the impact Poirier’s kicks had on McGregor’s lead calf. He attacked McGregor consistently there, with McGregor seen on a crutch exiting the building as a result of the damage.
“The goal was to be technical and pick my shots, not brawl at all,” Poirier added. “I have a tendency to get crazy and try and hurt guys. I felt like this was a title fight. I’m the champion.”
McGregor didn’t even fight a full minute of a professional fight in 2020 as he has been away from the sport since 2018.
“It’s hard to overcome inactivity. I wasn’t as comfortable as I needed to be,” McGregor said.