The trilogy which began seven years ago at featherweight has a brutal and disappointing ending, as the UFC 264 main event of Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor has ended after only one round of action. Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor officially via TKO (doctor stoppage) at the end of the first round after McGregor’s shin broke in half after a missed punch.
Dustin Poirier defeats Conor McGregor at UFC 264
It was the most anticipated fight of 2021 and it started in a fast and exciting way. Conor McGregor, the pride of Dublin, Ireland, utilized many different types of kicks early in the round. The two fighters tied up, in a clinch, after an exchange, in which McGregor landed a cross, and Poirier landed also. McGregor jumped for a guillotine while in the clinch, and the two dropped to the mat. Poirier was able to escape the guillotine and begin to land some “vicious ground and pound,” in the words of UFC color commentator Joe Rogan.
McGregor worked off of his back and tried to land elbows and up-kicks, however, Poirier continued to land elbows and strikes from the top position, which even caused bleeding from McGregor’s ear.
The two stood and exchanged and missed straights toward the end of the round, when McGregor stepped back and fell on his ankle in which broke his shin in half.
According to official fight stats, Poirier was able to land 36 significant strikes, 35 to the head, and McGregor landed 27, with 13 of those to the head.
Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor Post Fight Trash Talk
In the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Dustin Poirier, born of Lafayette, Louisiana, said that McGregor fractured his shin earlier in the fight when the Irishman threw a kick and Poirier checked it. McGregor disputed this version of the events saying, “There was no check! F*ck him.”
The two continued to trash talk and insult each other even while McGregor’s calf was in a splint. “This guy’s a dirtbag, man,” Poirier said of his foe. McGregor answered with insults to Poirier, claiming his wife was in his “DM’s,” and additionally yelled, “This is not over!”
“And everyone booing, you can kiss my whole a**hole.” Dustin Poirier told the sold-out Las Vegas crowd, and added, “I beat the guy.”
The Top Contender: Dustin Poirier
Poirier, ranked #1 at lightweight, now moves to the top contender position. UFC president Dana White had confirmed earlier that the winner of the main event at UFC 246 would be next in line for a title shot. The lightweight champion is Brazil-born Charles Oliveira. Oliveira won the vacant lightweight championship earlier this year when he defeated Michael Chandler via TKO in round 2. Now, Poirier vs. Oliveira will be the next title fight to make.
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The Poirier vs. McGregor trilogy had a long history of trash talk and bad blood. Starting with the first round finish for McGregor in 2014, to the TKO victory for Poirier earlier this year, fans and media alike were hoping for a conclusive, and clean, finish. This fight likely was the biggest fight of the year and ends in a very memorable, and very brutal, fashion.
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