Dustin Poirier stuns Conor McGregor in UFC rematch: Details here
What's the story
Former two-weight world champion Conor McGregor was left shocked on his return to the UFC as Dustin Poirier claimed victory in their rematch at UFC 257. McGregor had come out of retirement for a third time to face 32-year-old Poirier at Abu Dhabi's Fight Island. McGregor edged the first round, however, Poirier came back to secure a TKO victory 2:32 minutes into the second.
McGregor
I'm gutted, it's a tough one to swallow: McGregor
A stunned McGregor said the loss is tough to digest. He also said that he needs to dust it off and make a comeback. "I'm gutted, it's a tough one to swallow," said McGregor. "His leg kicks were good, my leg was dead and I wasn't as comfortable as I needed to be. I have to dust it off and come back."
Happenings
A look at McGregor's journey
McGregor beat Poirier inside 106 seconds in a featherweight bout in September 2014. Post that he achieved global stardom, becoming the UFC's first simultaneous two-weight champion. In 2017, McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather in the biggest fight in Combat Sports history. However, McGregor was beaten in the technical knockout in the 10th round. He lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, before beating Donald Cerrone.
Reaction
'We're 1-1 - maybe we have to do it again'
After his win, Poirier said that being tied 1-1, maybe another match can take place. "We're 1-1 - maybe we have to do it again," said Poirier. He also said his goal was to be technical. "The goal was to be technical, pick my shots, not brawl at all. Then I had him hurt so I went a little crazy."
Achievements
Key achievements of Conor McGregor
McGregor is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), featherweight and lightweight champion. He is also a former Cage Warriors featherweight and lightweight champion. In 2015, at UFC 194, McGregor defeated Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship in just 13 seconds via a knockout. It remains the fastest win in UFC title fight history.
Feats
Unique career facts about McGregor
After defeating Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 205, McGregor became the first fighter in history to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously. He is also the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draw in MMA history. His bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 drew 2.4 million PPV buys, the most ever for an MMA event.