5 unorthodox but effective strikes Conor McGregor may use in trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier

#2 The spinning back kick to the body

A vintage McGregor strike is the spinning back kick to the body. He used it against almost every opponent he faced while competing in the 145lb division, bar Aldo.

It allows McGregor to create distance and force his opponents back against the cage, which is exactly where the Irishman deals the most damage. In the clip below, McGregor can be attempting the spinning back kick within the first second of the fight against Chad Mendes, instantly establishing how the early exchanges of the bout would play out.

This could theoretically be a great tool to use against Poirier, who primarily evades incoming attacks with shoulder rolls.

Conor McGregor hit Mendes with a spinning back kick before the fight clock appeared on the screen😂 pic.twitter.com/rmZgcT9rjb

— ᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴏꜰᴡᴀʀ🗿🏝 (@TheArtOfWar6) January 21, 2021

#1 Conor McGregor's rear straight/The Celtic Cross

A rear straight is one of the most common punches used in MMA, which may make it a surprise number one pick for this list based around unorthodox strikers. However, the way in which McGregor throws it is almost entirely unique and has had some devastating results against past opponents.

When fighting from a southpaw stance, fighters typically throw a rear punch while their lead foot is on the outside of the opponent's stance. However, McGregor has adapted his left straight so that his lead leg is on the inside of his opponent's stance.

This changes the angle of his punch, often resulting in the victim of the strike no longer being in a position where they can step back. This causes a moment of instability or even occasionally knocks them down.

That @TheNotoriousMMA straight left tho! 👊 pic.twitter.com/DlvASSlSd8

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 24, 2017

Another unique facet to this punch is that rather than stepping in as he throws the strike, McGregor will plant his feet but throw his shoulders forward. This is somewhat of a double-edged sword as it means his head is within range of a counter strike, which Poirier picked up on in the rematch. However, it does mean that McGregor's hips are in a much stronger position to defend against any potential takedown attempts.