Russian UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov gestures to the crowd during an open training session at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. Fighters Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov will face each other in UFC 242, which will be held Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, in Abu Dhabi. Nurmagomedov did not spar during the open training, saying he was still trying to make weight for the bout. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
Retired UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov took delight in Dustin Poirier's win over Conor McGregor at UFC 264 on Saturday night.
Khabib took to Twitter to congratulate Poirier and added the remark, "Good always defeats evil."
Good always defeats evil. Very happy for @DustinPoirier I hope you will get the belt end of the year
Nurmagomedov, who retired last year with a perfect record of 29-0, faced both McGregor and Poirier during his career. He beat McGregor by fourth-round submission at UFC 229 in 2018 and Poirier by third-round submission at UFC 242 in 2019.
Khabib had far more issues with McGregor leading up to their fight, though, including McGregor throwing a metal dolly through the window of a bus Nurmagomedov was on prior to UFC 223.
McGregor seemingly wasn't humbled by losing three of six fights prior to UFC 264, as he talked plenty of trash at the pre-fight press conference and weigh-in.
Despite the Irishman's confidence that he would prevail, Poirier beat him for the second time in a row, as the doctor stopped the fight after one round after McGregor broke his leg.
Poirier now holds wins over McGregor at UFC 257 and 264, avenging his loss against him at UFC 178 back in 2014.
With the win, Poirier is among the hottest fighters in the lightweight division, and UFC President Dana White said after the fight that Poirier is now in line for a title shot against Charles Oliveira.
Poirier's only lightweight title opportunity to date was a loss against Khabib at UFC 242, but Nurmagomedov is now backing his former opponent in hopes that The Diamond can become an official champion for the first time in the UFC.
Dustin Poirier Wants Conor McGregor Rematch: He Said He Was Going to Kill, Murder Me
Jul 11, 2021
Conor McGregor, left, fights Dustin Poirier during a UFC 264 lightweight mixed martial arts bout Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Dustin Poirier called for another fight against Conor McGregor on Saturday night after beating him by technical knockout (doctor stoppage) at the end of the first round at UFC 264.
According to Ryan Harkness of MMA Mania, Poirier took issue with some of the things McGregor said leading up to the fight, which contributed to his desire to face the Irishman again:
"No, we are going to fight again whether it's on the Octagon or on the sidewalk.
"You don't say the stuff he said. My wife's solid as a rock, I'm not worried about that. That's noise. He was saying he was going to kill me. You don't say stuff like that, that he was going to murder me. You don't say stuff about people's wives either, but I know that's zero chance. But there is a chance someone could die, and you don't wish that on anybody."
Poirier beat McGregor for the second time in a row, but it wasn't via a decisive finish. McGregor suffered a broken leg, forcing the doctor to call the fight prior to the start of the second round.
Previously, Poirier defeated McGregor by second-round TKO at UFC 257 in January, avenging a loss to McGregor at UFC 178 in 2014.
McGregor talked plenty of trash leading up to UFC 264, but it was clear a few things in particular rubbed Poirier the wrong way.
Per Mirror's Martin Domin, McGregor took it to the extreme at Friday's weigh-in, saying: "Tomorrow night I'm going to make this man pay with his life and I mean it. You are dead in that Octagon tomorrow night."
While Poirier is now 2-1 against McGregor, the manner in which the fight ended has left the door open for a rematch.
UFC President Dana White suggested during the post-fight press conference that a rematch would be possible once McGregor recovers from the injury:
"Second leg break in what, the last three fights or something? It sucks, it's brutal, and it's not the way you want to see fights end. So ... Dustin Poirier will fight for the [lightweight] title, and when Conor is healed and ready to go, you do the rematch I guess. I dunno.
"Listen, the fight didn't get finished. You can't have a fight finish that way. So we'll see how this all plays out. Who knows how long Conor's out, so... Poirier will do his thing until Conor's ready."
The 32-year-old McGregor is now firmly in the midst of the worst stretch of his MMA career with losses in three of his past four fights and four of his past seven.
McGregor has only one win to his credit since beating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2016, that being a first-round TKO of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at UFC 246 last year.
Meanwhile, Poirier is on the roll of his life, winning three in a row and eight of his past nine decisions, with the only loss during that stretch coming versus Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Now, as White noted, Poirier is in line for a title fight against Charles Oliveira, meaning the next time Poirier and McGregor fight, it could be for the UFC lightweight championship.
UFC 264, probably the biggest pay-per-view fight card of the year thus far, went down Saturday night in Las Vegas, and we'll all be talking about it for months to come...
The World Doesn't Need a 4th Conor McGregor-Dustin Poirier Fight After UFC 264
Jul 11, 2021
Conor McGregor sits on the mat after an injury during his lightweight mixed martial arts bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 on Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Thanks to a gruesome leg break, Poirier (28-6 1 NC) received a doctor's stoppage TKO victory over McGregor (22-6) after the conclusion of the first round of Saturday's main event. McGregor threw a punch and then fell to the canvas after stepping back onto his left leg. Poirier moved in to land a few strikes, but the round ended a few seconds later. Though there was nothing remarkable about the sequence in real time, the replay clearly showed McGregor's left leg snap under his weight. The doctor waved off the bout, and there's your anticlimax. (It was ultimately determined McGregor had fractured his tibia.)
But there was a bit more drama to be had. The bad blood between these two did not only persist but appeared to get worse, with the two shouting pleasantries at each other as doctors worked on McGregor's leg, Poirier calling McGregor a "dirtbag" in his post-fight interview, and McGregor responding with something about Poirier's wife being in his DMs?
I don't know. It was one of those nights. And it looks like we'll have at least one more of these nights in our future, with a fourth McGregor-Poirier now seemingly a done deal, especially after UFC prez Dana White gave the idea his blessing after the card was over.
White said he believes McGregor would have made it out of the round if not for the injury. He said when McGregor heals, a fourth fight with Poirier is likely. And Poirier is next for the title shot. #UFC264
But do we really need it? Not really. If necessary, put this one on the novelty track and give it the same evergreen status as, say, McGregor vs. Nate Diaz (20-13) part three. For now, let's move on with our lives. There are better fights to make for both men, at least for the foreseeable future. (And all of this assumes McGregor will return to the cage, which of course we're all hoping he will do, and sooner rather than later.)
I will say this: The McGregor-Poirier beef is real. The two couldn't even agree on how McGregor's injury actually happened.
Dustin Poirier (left) kicks McGregor
"He fractured it on one of the checks [of a leg kick] at the beginning of the fight, then it broke on the punch," Poirier told broadcaster Joe Rogan in the cage after the fight. "When I pointed at him at the beginning of the fight, that's when I checked a good kick, and I bet that's when it cracked … then just on the twisting motion of the punch, that's what finished it."
When Rogan knelt down for a few words with McGregor as the doctors stabilized his leg, McGregor, beside himself with pain and frustration, denied Poirier's account before yelling out, "This is not over!"
Poirier likely wouldn't have a problem with that, as he went on in some length about what he viewed as McGregor's over-the-top trash talk and some dirty moves in the cage.
"There's no holds barred with the trash talk, but murder is something you don't clown around with," Poirier said. "This guy was saying he was gonna murder me and all this stuff, saying he was going to kill me, that I was gonna leave here in a coffin. You don't talk like that to people, man. … He was putting his fingers in my glove to try to pull me down for upkicks. …This guy's a dirtbag."
Ouch.
In the meantime, hopefully Poirier does indeed get that shot at reigning lightweight champ Charles Oliveira (31-8 1 NC). Poirier has never captured non-interim gold before despite an oft-stated desire to do so. Yes, another bout with McGregor would be a massive payday, but Poirier has already snagged two of those (their first bout was in 2014, before McGregor's star really took off).
So while a fourth McGregor bout will be viable essentially indefinitely for Poirier, title fights are a little more ephemeral.
It's clear McGregor wants another chance, and badly. He and his supporters may want to believe that Saturday's win was fluky, but the truth is legs don't just break. Poirier had to do something to precipitate it. Regardless, Poirier had the edge after one action-packed round. According to official UFC stats, Poirier landed 36 significant strikes to McGregor's 27. He also deftly escaped a serious McGregor guillotine choke attempt while hitting on one of two takedown shots and outslugging McGregor in a prolonged ground-and-pound sequence, landing some big elbows from the top.
Assuming Poirier faces Oliveira next, where does that leave McGregor? First and foremost, he'll have a lengthy rehab period. No telling how long it will be. But instead of handing him Poirier on a silver platter upon his return, how about making him earn it?
This is now a guy who's 3-4 in MMA over the past five years. You could pencil him in for contenders like Justin Gaethje (22-3) or Beneil Dariush (21-4-1)—both very interesting matchups—or you could move him even farther down for a winnable action fight with, say, Dan Hooker (20-10). If it's McGregor, it will sell. That's not the issue. The issue is what McGregor has earned in the cage of late. Although the leg break was unfortunate, business is business, and the truth is McGregor hasn't consistently delivered in years.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Conor McGregor of Ireland is interviewed by Joe Rogan after his TKO loss due to injury against Dustin Poirier in their welterweight fight during the UFC 264 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo
There's no reason for McGregor to rush back. He'll be fine. And there's no reason to rush another bout with Poirier in particular.
In a nutshell: This really isn't something the world needs to see unless McGregor demonstrates otherwise. It probably will happen, because ultimately both men want to settle this score and it would make everyone money. In the meantime, McGregor will have to stew in the sting of a clear and embarrassing defeat.
"Karma's not a b---h," Poirier told Rogan after the fight. "She's a mirror."
Floyd Mayweather Thanks Dustin Poirier After $50K Bet Hits with TKO Win vs. McGregor
Jul 11, 2021
Floyd Mayweather walks in the ring before an exhibition boxing match against Logan Paul at Hard Rock Stadium, Sunday, June 6, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Retired and undefeated world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. placed a $50,000 bet at Circa Sportsbook on lightweight Dustin Poirier to defeat Conor McGregor at UFC 264's main event Saturday, and his faith was rewarded after Poirier won via first-round TKO (doctor's stoppage).
Mayweather made sure to thank Poirier after the victory:
Mayweather is known for making a litany of huge sports bets. He's had some big wins during his betting career, and now he added another one to his resume after Poirier's victory.
As for the fight, the main event was stopped after McGregor suffered a lower leg injury near the end of Round 1. Poirier was winning 10-8, 10-8 and 10-9 on the scorecards before the fight was called.
Dana White: Poirier Will Fight Oliveira for UFC Title, McGregor Rematch Likely
Jul 11, 2021
Dustin Poirier is declared the winner after Conor McGregor was injured during a UFC 264 lightweight mixed martial arts bout Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor via first-round TKO (doctor's stoppage) at UFC 264 on Saturday after McGregor suffered a lower leg injury.
The result apparently opens up two separate fights for Poirier, per UFC President Dana White to reporters following the matchup:
White said he believes McGregor would have made it out of the round if not for the injury. He said when McGregor heals, a fourth fight with Poirier is likely. And Poirier is next for the title shot. #UFC264
Poirier was ranked as the No. 1 contender for Charles Oliveira's lightweight title going into the night, and he'll certainly stay there after taking down the No. 5 contender in McGregor.
Oliveira won the vacant lightweight title with a second-round TKO over Michael Chandler in May. The title was up for grabs after former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov retired.
The 31-year-old Oliveira is 31-8 with one no-contest lifetime.
Although Saturday's fight ended via doctor's stoppage, Poirier was in clear control of the bout, as the judges' scorecards noted:
Poirier, who is 28-6 with one no-contest for his professional career, has won seven of his last eight fights. One of the victories was over Max Holloway for the interim lightweight title belt. The only loss was to Khabib for the lightweight title.
White also implied that a fourth fight with McGregor could be in the works, though, and that would certainly be amenable to the Irishman:
Poirier has beaten McGregor two of the three times they have fought. The first win was in January via second-round TKO. McGregor beat Poirier by first-round TKO in September 2014.
Recalcitrant behavior at media gatherings. Over-the-top promises of gruesome Octagonal violence. And never a failed opportunity to work in some product placement. Sounds a lot like a Conor McGregor fight week...
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: (R-L) Dustin Poirier punches Conor McGregor of Ireland in their welterweight fight during the UFC 264 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier gave fans a great first round but was unfortunately cut short.
An apparent leg injury happened when McGregor missed with a punch and his ankle appeared to break.
An injury to Conor McGregor's leg forced a Doctor's Stoppage in the #UFC264 main event.
Before the fight-ending injury, Poirier put forth a strong first round. Both men went back and forth in the striking game before McGregor attempted to latch on to a guillotine choke. The rare move led to him winding up on his back where The Diamond controlled him for most of the round.
The bad blood between the two didn't end with the fight. Poirier referred to McGregor as a dirt bag on the post-fight broadcast, while Notorious assured his opponent that their rivalry isn't over yet.
"This is not over. If we have to take this outside, we'll do it." -- Conor McGregor.
I could see there being a fourth fight, but not in the near future. Disappointing finish for sure, but Poirier vs. Oliveira sure seems like it's next and that's a hell of a fight.
For now, Poirier holds the bragging rights in their rivalry. After beating the Irishman in January he now holds a 2-1 advantage in their lifetime series. McGregor won their 2014 fight by first-round TKO.
Whether Poirier gets a title shot against Charles Oliveira or waits around for another fight with McGregor now becomes one of the biggest questions in the lightweight division.
Main Card
Dustin Poirier def. Conor McGregor via first-round TKO (doctor's decision, 5:00)
Gilbert Burts def. Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Tai Tuivasa def. Greg Hardy via first-round TKO (1:07)
Irene Aldana def. Yana Kunitskaya via first-round TKO (4:35)
Sean O'Malley def. Kris Moutinho via third-round TKO (4:33)
Prelims
Max Griffin def. Carlos Condit via unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
Michel Pereira def. Niko Price via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Ilia Topuria def. Ryan Hall via first-round knockout (4:47)
Dricus Du Plessis def. Trevin Giles via second-round knockout (1:41)
Jennifer Maia def. Jessica Eye via unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
If Gilbert Burns' goal is to get a rematch with Kamaru Usman, he took an important step in his win over Stephen Thompson. The Brazilian picked up a big win over a tricky veteran with a unanimous decision.
Thompson's stand-up game is always a difficult thing for opponents to figure out. However, Burns' takedown game rose to the occasion. He surprised Thompson with a takedown in the first round that established his ability to change levels and opened up everything.
This was Burns' first fight since his loss to Usman for the strap. The loss didn't seem to affect his confidence, as he was willing to bring it to one of the more enigmatic names in the division.
He navigated Thompson's unique timing and stance and got one step closer to that title stage once more.
Tai Tuivasa def. Greg Hardy
The slugfest between Tai Tuivasa and Greg Hardy played out as one would expect. With both hulking heavyweights throwing heavy leather until someone wasn't standing.
That person just happened to be the former NFL star. Hardy fired off a big right hand that landed, but Tuivasa absorbed the blow and fired back with a left hook of his own that put Hardy down and brought the end of the fight.
It was a memorable performance for a fan favorite in Tuivasa who celebrated with his signature shoey:
As for Hardy, it's interesting to see where he goes from here. The UFC has given him plenty of opportunities in the spotlight, but he has yet to come through against better competition. None of his wins have come against a fighter who is still on the roster.
He's still just three years into his MMA career, but he's going to turn 33 by the end of the month. His ceiling might be clear at this point.
Irene Aldana def. Yana Kunitskaya
Irene Aldana came into her matchup of top-five women's bantamweights in desperate need of a win. She not only got it but also won it in style with a first-round TKO.
Yana Kunitskaya came out as the aggressor and appeared to be getting the better end of the striking. That was until a picturesque left hook from Aldana floored Kunitskaya and opened up the opportunity to finish the fight on the mat.
Check left hook by @IreneAldana_ put Kunitskaya down 💥
The win was a big one for Aldana because she was coming off a loss to Holly Holm. The 33-year-old had put together back-to-back wins before dropping one to the former champion.
Her significant power and potential to be a big draw in Mexico make Aldana one to watch.
In a division that Amanda Nunes has effectively cleaned out, Aldana's chances at getting a title shot just got a lot stronger. The loss snaps a two-fight winning streak for Kunitskaya.
Sean O'Malley def. Kris Moutinho
Kris Moutinho found out the hard way that it's fun to watch the Suga Show but not so fun to be on the receiving end of it.
Moutinho came in on short notice with Louis Smolka withdrawing from the fight just under two weeks before it was scheduled. While it was admirable for him to step in and he showed considerable toughness, O'Malley essentially used him for target practice.
O'Malley made it clear early that his striking was on another level, throwing in some flair as he pieced up his opposition:
He's miming like he's playing basketball 😅 @SugaSeanMMA
To be fair, Moutinho put on a display of durability that should earn him another shot in the UFC. He absorbed well over 200 strikes and continued to come forward.
Referee Herb Dean called an end to the bout with just under 30 seconds left. It likely wasn't popular among fans, but it was justified based on the damage Moutinho was taking by the final round.
Conor McGregor Says 'This Is Not Over' After Serious Ankle Injury in Loss to Poirier
Jul 11, 2021
Conor McGregor holds his right ankle while fighting Dustin Poirier during a UFC 264 lightweight mixed martial arts bout Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Conor McGregor didn't take his TKO loss by doctor stoppage to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 very well.
After suffering an apparently serious ankle injury, McGregor said inside the octagon that he was ready to continue fighting right there.
"This is not over," McGregor said. "If I have to take this outside, I’ll take it outside. I don’t give a (b------s)."
The injury occurred at the end of the first round when McGregor's ankle gave out as he was taking a step back from Poirier.
There was no indication prior to that moment there was anything wrong with McGregor. Poirier said after the bout he thought The Notorious One fractured either his ankle or leg earlier in the round, and it got worse as time moved on before finally giving out.
Saturday's fight marked a disappointing end for what was one of the most hyped-fights in UFC this year.
McGregor and Poirier split their first two head-to-head matchups. Their second bout took place in January, with Poirier winning via second-round TKO. McGregor won the first meeting at UFC 178 in September 2014.
Depending on how much time McGregor might miss, UFC could look to schedule a fourth with Poirier at some point.
