We are just a few days away from UFC 264 and the conclusion of one of the biggest trilogies in the history of the sport. Former two-division world champion Conor McGregor (22-5) and former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) will battle for the third time.
The series is one a piece with both men earning TKO victories. The last time these two fought was back in January at UFC 257. Conor McGregor started out well using his boxing and won the first round on all three scorecards.
However, Dustin Poirier weathered the storm and came back to score a massive TKO win in the second round. It was the first time in McGregor’s career that he had been stopped by strikes. UFC 257 proved that Dustin Poirier was much different from their first meeting.
Their first meeting took place at UFC 178 with McGregor picking up the first round TKO. That fight took place at featherweight and it was during McGregor’s meteoric rise to the top that saw him capture two world titles.
Today, McGregor sat down with Ariel Helwani to discuss his mindset leading up to UFC 264. McGregor appears more focused than ever and make no mistake about it, he plans on doing some serious damage to the diamond on Saturday night.
Mystic Mac’s UFC 264 Prediction
Despite losing at UFC 257, McGregor isn’t impressed with Dustin Poirier. McGregor said of Poirier, “He’s trembling. Even after the last win Ariel, ‘I don’t like this anymore, I don’t want to do this anymore,’ imagine after your biggest win you saying that. He knows he got electrocuted in both rounds… I had him out on his feet in both rounds.”
As mentioned, McGregor did have a lot of success in the second fight. To be honest, I was incredibly impressed with the durability of Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. The Dustin Poirier that fought McGregor in 2014 wouldn’t have been able to take the shots that he did back in January.
However, this is not the same Dustin Poirier. This Dustin Poirier just might be the best lightweight on the planet now that Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired. That said, McGregor is not impressed and he’s back with his Mystic Mac predictions for UFC 264.
“Dustin’s going out on a stretcher, that’s my prediction. Going out of this fight on a stretcher. I’m not jumping the gun (On whether the fight ends early). I’m ready for it all, but he’s going out on a stretcher.”
Conor McGregor’s UFC 264 Prediction
