Conor McGregor (22-6) was rendered unfit to continue beyond the first round at UFC 264, suffering a brutal ankle injury in the dying seconds of his first round against Dustin Poirier (28-6) .
Where the two fighters go from here is only clear in the short term. McGregor has had the surgery, while Poirier heads to the promised title fight with Charles Oliveira.
The specter of a fourth McGregor-Poirier fight lingers with strong allusions to another fight by McGregor and UFC President Dana White after the fight.
Poirier dominated the opening round, knocking down McGregor and defeating him with a barrage of ground strikes while avoiding McGregor’s threat of a guillotine choke from the lowest position.
When the two got back to their feet, McGregor threw and missed a punch as his ankle twisted horribly underneath. The fight was called off as a doctor save, with Poirier again bringing the trilogy to a close as a TKO winner.
Two of the three judges on the Octagon side gave Poirier a 10-8 advantage in the first round.
Poirier told UFC commentator Joe Rogan he believed the broken ankle was the result of his checking for one of McGregor’s frequent leg kicks early in the fight.
“He fractured it on one of the failures early in the fight,” said Poirier, 32. The Louisiana native also took the opportunity to criticize McGregor’s pre-fight trashy speech, which Poirier said went too far.
“Murder is something you don’t clown with. You don’t talk to people like that,” he added, before wishing McGregor a safe return home with his family.
McGregor, who must have been interviewed by Rogan after the fight while still sitting on the canvas with his ankle groomed, argued that before the injury, “I was ripping his head off which was bleeding and kicking him in the bleeding leg. him. “
The former two-weight world champion promised: “It’s not over.”
White has confirmed that McGregor will be operated on this morning to repair his damaged leg.
“The fight didn’t end. You can’t end a fight this way,” added White, touting the possibility of a fourth fight between the two bitter rivals.
White has promised Poirier’s next fight will be for the UFC lightweight title against Brazilian champion Oliveira (31-8).
Oliveira, 31, won the title in May with a sensational second-round knockout of former Bellator champ Michael Chandler (22-6) at UFC 262 earlier this year.
All-time UFC submissions leader Oliveira has added a dynamic punching arsenal in recent years to complement his world-class grappling and establish a well-balanced and superbly dangerous MMA game.
For Poirier, who once held the interim UFC lightweight title, to accomplish what he believes is his destiny and become the UFC lightweight champion, he will face a tough test in Oliveira.
McGregor, meanwhile, will likely be out of action for a while as he faces what appeared to be a frightening and significant injury.
While a timeline for his return is not yet known, possible fights for McGregor on the horizon include a fourth bout with Poirier, a trilogy match against fellow star and nemesis Nate Diaz (20-13), or a contest with another of the best in the lightweight division. contenders.
As the highest-paid Forbes athlete in 2021, some have questioned McGregor’s willingness to return to the Octagon following the second loss to Poirier, his third loss in his last four outings.
Late Saturday McGregor looked focused.
“If we have to get this out with [Poirier] it is in motion. I do not care !”
0 Yorumlar