UFC superstar Conor McGregor has a long history of making bold predictions before his fights, and “Mystic Mac” continued that trend this week ahead of his upcoming bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on January 23. McGregor stopped Poirier in less than two minutes in a featherweight contest back in 2014, and the Irishman plans to do it even faster this time around in a lightweight contest in 2021.
McGregor said, “I like Dustin. I think he’s a good fighter. He’s even a great fighter. But great is still levels below me. I’ll knock Dustin out inside 60 seconds.”
McGregor’s bold prediction was part of a sneak peek snippet released by the UFC from its upcoming UFC 257 “Countdown” show.
You can watch that clip below.
Conor McGregor: “I like Dustin. I think he’s a good fighter. He’s even a great fighter. But great is still levels below me. I’ll knock Dustin out inside 60 seconds.” ⌚ #UFC257
UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2
UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 is scheduled to take place in less than three weeks on Yas Island, aka Fight Island, in Abu Dhabi.
UFC 257 is the first UFC pay-per-view event of 2021, and the fight is expected to be one of the best-selling pay-per-view events of the year.
THE EVOLUTION… 📈
[ #UFC257 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ]
McGregor (22-4) was the UFC’s first-ever “champ champ”, and the 32-year-old is one of only seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in more than one weight class.
Additionally, McGregor is the most popular fighter in UFC history.
Meanwhile, Poirier (26-6) is a former interim lightweight champion. The 31-year-old has solidified his standing among the top fighters in the sport since suffering his loss to McGregor over six years ago, and the American is hoping to score the upset on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
McGregor Agrees With Jon Jones
McGregor’s bold prediction about beating Poirier in the rematch is the same one UFC superstar Jon Jones gave to Heavy a couple of weeks ago when asked about UFC 257.
“I think the same thing is going to happen, maybe even faster this time…,” Jones said. “I just don’t think he has the chin to stick out 25 minutes with McGregor.”
Eventually, Jones backed off that prediction a little.
“No disrespect to Dustin Poirier. Okay, maybe not faster, I know the first one was pretty fast…but Conor McGregor just has ‘it’. He has that ‘it factor’ in business and in his fights. Things come together well for him,” Jones said.
You can watch the first fight for free below.
McGregor isn’t likely to back off his own prediction though. The fighter stopped Poirier in less than 120 seconds in 2014, and the former “champ champ” believes he’ll win the second fight in less than 60 seconds in 2021.
As for Jones, Jones respects Poirier as a top contender but ultimately believes McGregor is just on another level.
“You’ve got to be a special, special man to defeat Conor McGregor. At the end of the day, Dustin Poirier has been in a lot of wars. You can have all the skill in the world. I just don’t think he has the chin to stick out 25 minutes with McGregor,” Jones said.
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Conor McGregor Makes Bold Prediction About UFC 257 [WATCH]