On July 10th, we will most definitely see the battle that will attract the most PPV buys for the promotion in 2021 at UFC 264. The war is a trilogy between "The Notorious" Conor McGregor (22-5) and "The Diamond" Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC).
McGregor and Poirier battled for the second time at UFC 257 in January. McGregor had a strong start to the fight, winning the first round on all three judges' scorecards. After the battle, Poirier acknowledged that McGregor had him shocked in the first round.
However, McGregor did not react, and the match went into the second round. Though McGregor won the first round, Poirier began to inflict harm on McGregor's leg. McGregor adopted a more boxing-style stance, leaning heavily on his front knee.
Poirier began working his calf kicks later in the round, and they paid off big time in the second round. McGregor wobbled against the fence after a huge calf kick accompanied by a wide hook.
When it comes to ending battles, Poirier is a wolf, and he was seeing red at UFC 257. Poirier swarmed McGregor after he was injured against the fence, eventually blocking him and giving him his first knockout defeat of his career.
Is the outcome the same at UFC 264?
The buildup to this battle at UFC 264 seems to be different from the one in January. Both men were highly polite at the weigh-ins in January, also posing for pictures together after Poirier offered McGregor a bottle of his hot sauce.
This war, on the other hand, has a totally different vibe. McGregor totally turned the switch and returned to the old Conor McGregor after Poirier openly claimed that he missed out on a contribution to his organization.
McGregor vowed to battle anyone else at UFC 264 and referred to Poirier as a "inbred hillbilly." McGregor also contributed $500,000 to a hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana. The gift, though, did not go to Poirier's charity.
Poirier told Ariel Helwani of ESPN that he didn't take it personally because it wasn't his earnings. “At the end of the day, charity succeeds, because that is what matters,” Poirier said. That was a high five, not a smack in the face.”
Later in the interview, Helwani inquired about UFC 264 with Poirier. Poirier is hoping the utmost from Conor McGregor, but he doesn't think the outcome will change.
“I'm trying to pause Conor once more. On July 10th, I'm going to lift my hand and finish Conor McGregor once more.”
Dustin Poirier discusses the UFC 264 trilogy with Conor McGregor.