"Not McGregor fast, McGregor sleep" - When Dustin Poirier's brutal response to fan question ensured Conor McGregor blanking out 

Two of the finest fighters in the UFC's lightweight division, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, have met thrice in the octagon, with one meeting taking place at featherweight.

In fact, McGregor's back-to-back losses to Poirier in 2021 remain his last appearances in the octagon, presumably till next year.

At UFC 257, 'The Diamond' put in a Performance of the Night-worthy show to knock out 'The Notorious' halfway into the second round. When their trilogy fight was announced for UFC 264, McGregor's cordial conduct towards Poirier in the previous matchup's build up switched to his usual trash talk and aggressive promotion.

At a press conference prior to fight night, a reporter quizzed Conor McGregor about the reason behind his apparent change in demeanor.

"Conor, in the build up to the last fight, you were unusually kind to Dustin, now on fight, it’s the exact opposite. So, where did that switch happen?"

Dustin Poirier interjected and slammed McGregor's attitude switch while attributing it to his brutal knockout loss at UFC 257. Poirier said:

"Cause he got knocked the f**k out. Not McGregor fast, McGregor sleep!"

Poirier took a dig at McGregor's F.A.S.T. program which is marketed as a scientifically based, 12-week high performance training program designed by the man himself. Unfortunately their third fight ended in a doctor's stoppage due to a leg break McGregor suffered at the end of round one.

Check out Poirier's brutal response in the video below:

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Dana White's UFC 296 main event announcement effectively rules out Conor McGregor return this year

The leg injury suffered by Conor McGregor in his UFC 264 main event matchup against Dustin Poirier has kept him out for an extended period of time and he is yet to return to action.

A scheduled return for this year in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter against Michael Chandler was put off due to an ongoing controversy between McGregor and the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Amidst ongoing speculation about his octagon return, an announcement from UFC president Dana White regarding UFC 295 and UFC 296 may have ruled out the possibility of his return this year.

White announced that UFC 296 will be headlined by a welterweight championship fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington. In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja will defend his flyweight title against Brandon Royval.

Additionally, UFC 295's main event between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will now be supplemented by a returning Jiri Prochazka taking on Alex Pereira for the vacant light heavyweight title.

Check out the announcement below: