Conor McGregor

The trilogy fight between lightweight mixed martial artists Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor to cap UFC 264 on Saturday ended after McGregor suffered an apparent lower leg injury, leading to Poirier's first-round TKO (doctor's stoppage) victory.

The injury didn't stop the trash talking, however, and Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting and The Ringer relayed the post-fight scene:

Poirier beat McGregor via second-round TKO last January, avenging a first-round TKO loss to the Irishman in Sept. 2014.

There was more to Poirier and McGregor's interactions than those remarks.

BT Sport captured Poirier doing McGregor's patented "billionaire strut" taunt after he was announced as the winner:

McGregor's injury and loss didn't stop him from lobbing vicious and ugly taunts, however:

Poirier ultimately emerged as the winner, though, and delivered this line regarding his opponent:

Poirier's win opened the door for him to challenge UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for his belt. He improved to 28-6 with one no-contest for his career.

The highly anticipated main event at UFC 264 had an unfortunate and abrupt ending when Conor McGregor injured his leg at the end of the first round Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Notorious One's lower leg appeared to give out on him as he was stepping back from Dustin Poirier.

Dana White told reporters after the fight McGregor will undergo surgery Sunday morning on a broken tibia.

Poirier was officially declared the winner by TKO.

Speaking inside the Octagon after his win, Poirier said he "felt something for sure" regarding McGregor's ankle.

Poirier believes the injury initially occurred earlier in the first round and continued to get worse, as McGregor kept using it before it finally gave out.

It's unclear how the injury might impact where UFC goes from here. McGregor told reporters during Thursday's press conference he wanted a bout with Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas if he defeated Poirier.

Even though this wasn't the way Poirier wanted to win, the UFC could certainly put him into the title picture against Oliveira later this year.

He won the title by defeating Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in May.

Poirier didn't sustain any serious damage in this brief bout against McGregor, so he could opt for a quick turnaround if the UFC presents him with a title shot.

The Diamond previously held the interim lightweight title for five months in 2019 before losing a unification bout to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242.

Dustin Poirier claimed victory in his trilogy fight with Conor McGregor as the Notorious was unable to continue with an apparent leg injury after the first round.

It wasn't the conclusive end to the rivalry fans were hoping for, but it did offer an entertaining round before the fight came to an unfortunate end.

There was no love lost from the start as both fighters unleashed early strikes. This time, McGregor wasn't afraid to utilize some leg kicks of his own. 

The fight took an unexpected turn with the rare submission attempt from McGregor. He jumped on the opportunity to try to put a guillotine off a Poirier takedown attempt but it only ended up with him putting his back on the mat. 

Poirier went to work with ground-and-pound, clearly winning the round. When McGregor missed a punch, he fell back on his leg, suffering the fight-ending injury.

After the bout, it was clear there's still heat between the two. Poirier referred to McGregor as a "dirtbag" while Notorious let him know he was ready for another fight. 

The rivalry between the two fighters has run hot and cold throughout its history but started back in 2014 when both fighters were still ascending up the rankings. McGregor's trash talk got to The Diamond, and he backed it up with a first-round TKO win.

Poirier first exacted his revenge in January with a second-round knockout win of his own, showing his evolution as a fighter since that first encounter.

While this win is a bit inconclusive, Poirier continues to be among the most elite the lightweight division has to offer. He picked up his second win over McGregor but could ultimately fight him for a fourth time given the premature end to this fight.

The Louisiana native hasn't lost a fight to someone not named Khabib Nurmagomedov since 2016. The list of wins in that time includes former champions Max Holloway, Eddie Alvarez and Anthony Pettis.

His resume was clearly good enough to challenge current lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, but Poirier opted for the trilogy with McGregor knowing that was where the money was.

"If I am the best in the world, then I'm gonna beat Conor and fight for the belt. It's like doubling down on yourself," Poirier told ESPN's Brett Okamoto (h/t Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog). "I'm a gambling man. I believe in my skills and fighting. So I just doubled down. That's what it was."

With this fight ending in such unsatisfying fashion, it will be interesting if Poirier waits for a fourth fight or goes for the title and fight McGregor again with the belt on the line.

Audie Attar, the manager for UFC star Conor McGregor, said he's confident a trilogy fight against Nate Diaz will eventually take place, but the timetable remains unclear.

Attar told TMZ Sports a lot will depend on the outcome of Saturday night's UFC 264 main event, which will see a separate trilogy as McGregor takes on Dustin Poirier. If the Irish fan favorite comes out on top, he'll shift his focus to lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

"I think it'll be the title fight against Charles Oliveira," Attar said about what's next for McGregor. "Oliveria is here, he's gonna be present at the fight, waiting to see who he's gonna fight next."

That said, the long-awaited third meeting with Diaz is still on the horizon, as well.

"The trilogy fight is gonna happen. Conor publicly said it has to happen. And, I know both fighters intend to make it happen," Attar told TMZ. "I think it's just gonna happen in the near future, just not next, immediately. He wants the belt next."

A lot of things have been put on the back burner because McGregor, who typically fought two or three times a year early in his UFC career, has only entered the Octagon three times since a November 2016 win over Eddie Alvarez.

His performance has also dipped with a 3-3 record in his most recent six bouts, including losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Poirier over his last three outings.

Yet McGregor, 32, is still one win away from a likely title shot and remains one of UFC's top draws. Even if he loses Saturday, changing course toward the trilogy bout with Diaz would generate a lot of interest.

Diaz won the first matchup by second-round submission in March 2016, but McGregor avenged that defeat with a victory by majority decision five months later. He then beat Alvarez for the lightweight belt before an extended hiatus that included a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Meanwhile, McGregor defeated Poirier by first-round knockout in September 2014, but the 32-year-old American came out on top with a second-round TKO when they met in January.

The outlook for both fighters will become more clear based on whose hand is raised in victory at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Jake Paul apparently spent $100,000 on a chain depicting Conor McGregor after a knockout loss, which he showed off in a video Saturday:

The chain is based on the image of McGregor on the mat after a loss to Dustin Poirier.

The social media star also called on McGregor to succeed in Saturday's bout against Poirier. 

"Hey McGregor, you better win tonight, otherwise your career is over," Paul said. "And if you lose, that $50 million bet I gave you won't be on the table."

Paul previously made a $50 million offer to fight McGregor and showed his "proof of funds" in December, per TMZ Sports.

McGregor is first trying to continue his UFC career, with a win against Poirier potentially putting him in line for another title shot. Paul, meanwhile, is just getting started in his professional boxing career with a 3-0 record and an upcoming fight against Tyron Woodley on the table.

Conor McGregor is ramping up the trash talk 24 hours before his showdown with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. 

During Friday's press conference, McGregor declared that he will end Poirier's life inside the octagon. 

"Tomorrow I am going to make this man pay with his life," McGregor said. "And I mean it. You're dead in that octagon tomorrow night!"

Saturday will mark the third meeting between McGregor and Poirier in their mixed martial arts careers. 

Their first bout was way back in 2014 when McGregor was making just his fourth appearance in UFC. The Notorious dominated the bout at UFC 178, earning a TKO less than two minutes into the first round. 

After a 12-month layoff, McGregor returned to the octagon on Jan. 24 to fight Poirer at UFC 257. The Diamond got his revenge in that bout with a second-round TKO victory. 

McGregor could use a win more than Poirier at this point. He is just 3-3 since 2016, with two of the losses coming in his past three fights. 

Poirier is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC. The 32-year-old is 7-1 with one no contest in his past nine fights dating back to 2017. His only loss was to Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title at UFC 242. 

Rafael dos Anjos called out Conor McGregor on Friday after an apparent run-in with him during weigh-ins for UFC 264.

Dos Anjos tweeted the following in reference to McGregor:

According to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, dos Anjos and McGregor had a "minor verbal altercation" backstage at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas during weigh-ins.

UFC 264 will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, and it is set to be headlined by the third fight in the McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier trilogy.

Dos Anjos was on hand as the reported replacement fighter in case either McGregor or Poirier could not compete at UFC 264 for any reason. 

McGregor stirred the pot with dos Anjos on Thursday by tweeting the following:

Dos Anjos is a 36-year-old native of Brazil who beat Anthony Pettis for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 185 in 2015 before dropping it to Eddie Alvarez two fights later in July 2016.

For his career, dos Anjos is 30-13 with 10 wins by way of submission and five by knockout.

Dos Anjos has locked horns with no shortage of big names during his career, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, Nate Diaz, Colby Covington and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, but he has yet to fight McGregor.

McGregor, 32, is one of the biggest stars in UFC history and also one of the most successful. The Irishman is 22-5 in his professional career and has held both the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles.

While McGregor was once a dominant force, he is just 3-3 over his past six fights with losses to Diaz, Khabib and Poirier.

His most recent bout was against Poirier at UFC 257 in January. Poirier won the fight by second-round technical knockout, avenging his loss to McGregor at UFC 178 in 2014.

The winner of Saturday's fight will be a strong candidate to be the next challenger for the UFC lightweight title against Charles OIiveira.

If McGregor loses, a fight against dos Anjos could be in the cards, as the Brazilian has similarly struggled as of late, going 2-4 over his past six fights.

Welcome back to TGIFighting, where every Friday we talk to top fighters, preview the weekend's combat sports action and make wry observations about the relevant MMA news of the day. Ready? Let's proceed.

Back in January, while hyping the second leg of what would become his trilogy of fights with Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor tried something different. He donned the proverbial white hat, laying aside his trademark needle-sharp trash talk in favor of a more respectful tone.

Then Poirier knocked him out.

As their Saturday rubber match approaches, the black hat is back in place. 

From the moment he stepped onstage wearing dark sunglasses for a Thursday night press conference in advance of their main event at UFC 264 in Las Vegas, McGregor (22-5) was out to get inside the head of Poirier (27-6 1 NC) and anyone else who could see or hear him. (Warning: language NSFW)

"I don't give a f--k about him, to be honest," McGregor said of Poirier. "I don't give a rat's ass about him. He's Buster Douglas! He's Buster Douglas, is what he is. He's gonna be known for that: a fluke win, and I'm gonna correct it on Saturday night."

When former NFL wide receiver, boxer and noted MMA fan Chad Johnson appeared at the media microphone to ask if McGregor considered himself a lock, the answer came quickly: "I'm gonna kill this man."

Poirier, knowing full well that no one stands much of a chance trading words with McGregor, quietly absorbed the barbs with as much equanimity as he could muster, though he did get a few of his own licks in.

"To me, he's lost that aura," Poirier quietly declared. "It's just business. All I see is a man here, a man who needs to get crazy."

It's a fair point. At 32 years old, McGregor is 22-5 overall but just 3-3 in his six most recent contests, lightly scattered over the past five years. If he drops this rubber match with Poirier, he'll have to stand by as the Diamond lands a late-year blockbuster with current lightweight champ Charles Oliveira (31-8 1 NC), one that's already penciled in for Saturday's winner on many observers' calendars.

Although McGregor is the biggest star in MMA history and will continue to print money no matter what happens Saturday, a loss would likely mean the end of his days as a serious UFC title challenger, at least until he "banks" a few more wins.

In his own way, McGregor addressed that issue Thursday. First, by vigorously and profanely shouting down a reporter who asked him about that recent record—accurately pointing out that McGregor has precisely one win on his record since the end of the Obama administration—and second by indicating he's tried to get back to basics, or at least whatever passes for basics in McGregor world.

"My mindset is hard hat on and two hammers in me hands," McGregor said. "That's my mindset. I'm not relishing in all me past accomplishments, all the money I've got in me bank, all the Forbes accomplishments, I don't care about that. I'm back on the building site with two hammers in me f--kin hands." 

It's possible that part of the back-to-basics approach was reflected in Thursday's presser and the classic McGregor mind games therein. Even before Poirier hit the stage, McGregor was snapping up bottles of his opponent's branded hot sauce that graced the tables. During a quick early faceoff, McGregor threw a flailing kick in Poirier's general direction. You get the idea.

"He's not in the same stratosphere as me," McGregor said as he gazed over at Poirier through those massive sunglasses. "The man looks disgraceful up here. He looks frail. He looks frail at this weight now, I'm telling you. His head, his body, his frame, his eyes. The cut is getting to him. I'm on weight and ready to go. … He's getting took here." 

That's get-in-your-opponent's-head 101, and that's a master quote from a master craftsman (Poirier has had his share of weight-cutting troubles in the past). When discussing his approach to fighting, he may as well have been discussing his approach to trash talk.

"This is my bread and butter," McGregor said. "This is what wakes me up in the morning with fire in my belly: errors to correct, tactics to prepare for. So I've had a great camp, a great focus on my opponent's skills." 

Among other items, McGregor took the time to predict he'd be a billionaire by age 35 and that a trilogy fight with Nate Diaz (21-13) "is for sure gonna happen."

As for the trilogy fight in front of him, he predicted he'd set a new high-water mark for his own career. That had to be music to the ears of UFC President Dana White, who will likely be hoping for and perhaps expecting record pay-per-view numbers for UFC 264.

"[UFC 205 in 2016] was the single greatest performance in UFC history, widely regarded," McGregor said. "[That was] the night I won the second world title in Madison Square Garden. With this performance on Saturday night, I'm gonna top it. … Another feather to the cap. It's what I love to do. I love to come in here and defy the odds, do the unthinkable and put on a show."

Oh, and if you want to know whether he has learned to check leg kicks? Looks like you'll have to pony up on Saturday.

Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the Week 

Record to date: 13-4

It's all McGregor-Poirier all the time here at TGIFighting this week, with one exception. We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't point out the easiest of easy money at UFC 264. For all you conservative and/or lazy and/or unskilled bettors out there like me.

It pains me to say it, and it pains us all to see it, but the great Carlos Condit (32-13) is running on fumes. Yes, he's won two straight, but that was only after a string of five consecutive defeats. His opponent in Saturday's prelims, Max "Pain" Griffin (17-8), has a two-fight win streak of his own and appears to be putting it all together.

Griffin is a power striker with solid wrestling, and while he's been inconsistent at times, that problem should take care of itself Saturday in the kind of showcase bout that every fighter dreams of. Condit has the same sky-high fight IQ he's always had, and he'll make it competitive, but he no longer has the legs to run with the fresher fighters. DraftKings has Pain as a -190 (bet $190 to win $100) favorite. Lock it in.

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