The main event at UFC 264 didn’t end the way that anyone thought it would. In the headliner, Conor McGregor (22-6) and Dustin Poirier (28-6, 1 NC) were looking to settle the score and conclude their trilogy with each man having won one fight.
McGregor started out quick on Saturday working his kicks and was very aggressive. However, Poirier also found success on the feet at UFC 264 and it was one of his blitzes that forced McGregor to clinch in the first round to try and get space.
Poirier went for a takedown and McGregor tried to lock in a guillotine. Poirier spent the second half of the round raining down shots from the guard. Late in the round, the fight went back to the feet with just seconds left. McGregor went right back to trying to work his kicks.
Both men missed with big left straight hands and when McGregor stepped back, his leg snapped. The fight ended in between rounds and Poirier was awarded the win at UFC 264 although there still feels like some cloudiness with this rivalry considering the way this fight ended.
McGregor’s UFC Return
After UFC 264, McGregor was immediately taken to the hospital and the following day, he had surgery to repair his broken leg. McGregor posted an update on his Twitter where he talked about the fact that he will rebuild better than ever.
Dana White spoke with TMZ yesterday and talked about McGregor’s timeline. White said that McGregor was released from the hospital yesterday. He’s actually planning on staying in Los Angeles for a while before flying home.
On his timeline for his UFC return, White said that McGregor would return in about a year. I think that’s a pretty fair assessment given the injury although I wouldn’t rule out him potentially returning sooner.
We will not see McGregor in the UFC for the rest of 2021, however, I wouldn’t rule out a spring return. A lot will come down to how rehab goes and McGregor’s desire to get back in the cage. Whenever ‘The Mac’ does return, the world will be watching.