Dustin Poirier finally got his revenge.
In a rematch 6 1/2 years in the making, Poirier stunned Conor McGregor with a second-round TKO in the main event of UFC 257 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi early Sunday.
"The goal was to be technical and to pick my shots," he said. "I know Max Holloway says he has the best boxing here but I have two wins over the kid. I boxed well with Conor."
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composed Poirier never allowed the fight to turn into a brawl. He worked in a clinch game in the first round along with the leg kicks. McGregor's precision striking was on display as he picked off his opponent with left hands but seemed uncomfortable once Poirier got inside and secured a takedown. Unlike his last fight, vs. Donald Cerrone, McGregor soon realized he wouldn't be able to blitz his opponent like he did many others.
When the second round opened, Poirier's calf kicks started to pile up and McGregor was wearing damage. That also prevented the Irishman from darting in and out with his movement. Poirier recognized that McGregor was compromised and began to mix up his strikes. After eating a left hand, Poirier sat down on a short right that landed and stunned McGregor. With his opponent unable to escape danger, Poirier rolled in with a volley of strikes that had McGregor's back up against the fence.
A collected Poirier continued to fire punches as McGregor sought an escape before ducking right into a right hand that put the former two-division champion down for good at the 2:32 mark.
The victory marks Poirier's fifth over former champions and puts him in a position to challenge for the title that a seemingly retired Khabib Nurmagomedov still holds. UFC president Dana White met with Nurmagomedov earlier in the week in an attempt to convince the undefeated champion to come out of retirement and dangled a rematch with McGregor in front of him. Poirier had other plans.
McGregor was gracious in defeat and suggested that his inactivity had done him in; this was only his third UFC fight in the past 4 1/2 years.
"It's hard to overcome inactivity," he said. "That lower calf kick was very good. I wasn't comfortable as I needed to be. Dustin was some fighter. I have to dust it off and come back. I need activity. You don't get away with being inactive in this business. I'm going to regroup."
As for Poirier, he believes the UFC lightweight title belongs to him, regardless of whether Nurmagomedov comes out of retirement.
"I feel like this was the title fight," Poirier said. "If Khabib's not coming back, I feel like me and Conor are the two best guys. I'm the champion."
Although Poirier believes that he has done enough to be named the world champion, former Bellator champion Michael Chandler staked his claim for a crack at UFC gold with a first-round knockout of Dan Hooker in his UFC debut.
Chandler signed with the UFC in September 2020 after a tenure in Bellator that included him becoming a three-time lightweight champion. The 34-year-old proved he could hang with the top tier of the UFC lightweights as he obliterated Hooker with a left hand midway through the first round.
With the division wide open, Chandler immediately called out every single top fighter it has to offer.