Getty UFC superstar Conor McGregor
MMA superstar Conor McGregor has made it clear he plans to fight again. “Notorious” made his highly anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 257 last month in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
He took on top-ranked lightweight Dustin Poirier in what was viewed by most as a title eliminator match. McGregor walked into the cage as the betting favorite, however Poirier impressed and showed how his game has developed since their first bout in 2014.
Utilizing his arsenal of martial arts, including boxing, kick boxing and wrestling, “The Diamond” scored a second-round TKO over the Irishman, sending McGregor back to the drawing board.
After the bout, McGregor said his lack of time in the cage was a major contributing factor in the loss. He also mentioned two specific fights that interested him, a trilogy match with either Poirier or Nate Diaz.
Another narrative surrounding McGregor’s bout with Poirier, and his January 2020 fight with Donald Cerrone, is the way he conducted himself during interviews and press conferences. McGregor was respectful of both opponents and didn’t use any trash talk in the buildup. This was in stark contrast to his ascendance into stardom. Notorious was known for his brash nature and getting under the skin of many of his opponents with savage predictions and claims.
In a recent Instagram post, McGregor shared a photo of himself and wrote, “No more mr nice guy,” ending with a heart emoji. See below:
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Poirier vs. McGregor 3 Could Be Next, According to ESPN
GettyDustin Poirier and Conor McGregor face off ahead of their UFC 257 bout.
According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the UFC is heading in the direction of booking Poirier vs. McGregor 3. During his show on Monday with former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, Helwani said that it’s still unclear if there will be the lightweight belt on the line, as Khabib Nurmagomedov has still not vacated his title.
It’s also unclear when the fight would take place, however McGregor’s head coach John Kavanagh revealed last month that Notorious would like to compete before the summer. Helwani also confirmed that McGregor would like to return in May.
Poirier is also seemingly ready to get back into the Octagon when he finds the fight that suits him best.
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UFC 257 Results
See the results of the January 23 fight card below:
Main Card
Lightweight: Dustin Poirier def. Conor McGregor via second-round TKO
Lightweight: Michael Chandler def. Dan Hooker via first-round TKO
Women’s Flyweight: Joanne Calderwood def. Jessica Eye via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Middleweight: Makhmud Muradov def. Andrew Sanchez via third-round TKO
Women’s Strawweight: Marina Rodriguez def. Amanda Ribas via second-round TKO
Preliminary Card
157-Pound Catchweight: Arman Tsarukyan def. Matt Frevola via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Middleweight: Brad Tavares def. Antonio Carlos Junior via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Women’s Bantamweight: Julianna Pena def. Sara McMann via third-round rear-naked choke
Light Heavyweight: Marcin Prachnio def. Khalil Rountree Jr. via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Early Preliminary Card
150-Pound Catchweight: Movsar Evloev def. Nik Lentz via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Flyweight: Amir Albazi def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)