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UFC superstar Conor McGregor might be coming off a stoppage loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, but that hasn’t kept the 32-year-old from celebrating any of the brilliant parts of his most recent performance. McGregor posted slow-motion footage of the fight via Instagram on Wednesday showing the fighter land a clean jab while avoiding “The Diamond’s” return fire.
McGregor posted, “Workin the lead paw”. You can watch the footage McGregor posted below via his Instagram account.
Poirier defeated McGregor via second-round knockout at UFC 257. While McGregor seemed to be having his way in the first round of that fight, Poirier turned the tables on McGregor in the second round with sharp calf-kicks that hobbled the star.
McGregor never recovered from those devastating blows, and the dangerous 32-year-old American contender finished McGregor with a furious barrage of punches.
Now, the two UFC stars are knotted 1-1, and most pundits expect the trilogy capper to come next.
McGregor defeated Poirier in 2014 in a featherweight fight. McGregor earned the victory back then by first-round knockout.
But Poirier returned the favor in the second round seven years later.
Watch: McGregor’s First Amateur MMA Fight
According to MMA History Today, McGregor’s amateur MMA career started 14 years ago.
You can watch McGregor stop his opponent in the video clip below and compare that amateur version of McGregor to the one last seen in the UFC octagon.
A lot can change in 14 years.
McGregor’s Popularity Continues To Endure
Despite his loss to Poirier, McGregor remains the most popular MMA fighter in the world.
In 2015, McGregor stopped Jose Aldo in the first round at UFC 194 for the UFC featherweight championship.
You can relive that moment below.
In 2016, McGregor stopped Eddie Alvarez in the second round at UFC 205 for the UFC lightweight title. That stirring victory made McGregor the UFC’s first double champion, aka the first-ever UFC “champ champ”.
You can watch that clip below.
Additionally, McGregor is one of only seven fighters in history that have achieved the goal of winning a UFC championship in more than one weight class since the UFC began awarding titles in different weight classes back in 1997.
He might be coming off a loss at UFC 257, but McGregor remains one of the most accomplished UFC champions in history.
The Irishman’s popularity continues to endure.
Poirier vs. McGregor 3
While it hasn’t yet been announced, all signs point toward Poirier vs. McGregor 3 happening before this summer is complete.
McGregor’s focus on getting the rematch began almost immediately following his loss to Poirier at UFC 257, and the fighter’s camp maintained that same energy over the weeks that followed.
But UFC president Dana White confirmed the plan last week, so now the world waits for the third fight to be officially announced.
When it happens, Poirier vs. McGregor 3 will be an important part of figuring out what happens next with the UFC lightweight championship currently held by Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov retired last year, but the UFC remained hopeful he was coming back.
Regardless, Poirier, McGregor, Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson, and Rafael dos Anjos all seem keen on being part of the UFC’s plan to fill the assumed vacancy, so there are plenty of important lightweight fights on the way in 2021.
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Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson
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