UFC 264: Conor McGregor's 3 most brutal UFC finishes

The UFC's biggest superstar Conor McGregor is back and he's back with a vengeance. Given his illustrious career, there's always a multitude of fights, stats and moments to check back on ahead of any Conor McGregor fight week. The upcoming UFC 264 pay-per-view is no different.

Earlier this year, Conor McGregor was knocked out for the first time by Dustin Poirier. With the victory, Poirier, the underdog, established himself as one of the best lightweights in the world. McGregor will be keen to show that he still has what it takes to compete at the top of the UFC when he faces the 32-year-old for the third time.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

UFC 264: Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3

Against Conor McGregor at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier provided one of the most memorable moments of 2021 during the year's very first pay-per-view. The fight, which took place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, saw Poirier write his name in the history books as the first man to knockout Conor McGregor.

With McGregor's victory over the Louisianan at UFC 178 in 2014, the pair are now 1-1 in their rivalry and will complete a memorable trilogy at UFC 264 next week. UFC 257 was one of the most successful pay-per-views in the promotion's history, having attracted 1.6 million buys. With a sold out UFC 264, the UFC will be hoping for similar success on July 10.

Despite their positive relationship throughout the UFC 257 fight week, the pair have exchanged words over social media since and a debate over the Irishman's promised donation to Poirier's charity led to animosity between the two elite lightweights.

Although they initially seemed to have patched things up, the lead-up to their third fight has seen more words exchanged after McGregor claimed Poirier is a "dusty b***h" if he shoots for a takedown. Maybe we'll see some more of McGregor's famed trash talk during fight week and in the pre-fight press conference.

Ahead of next Saturday's PPV, let’s refresh our memories of Conor McGregor's skills inside the octagon. Here are his three most brutal finishes in the UFC.

#3 Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez - UFC 205

The term 'dominance' has never been as appropriate as it was to describe Conor McGregor's performance against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in 2016. The Irishman made history by becoming the first ever simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history. Despite what was at stake, McGregor barely broke a sweat.

After controlling the lightweight championship fight throughout, McGregor ended it with a brutal and clinical combination. With two minutes of the second round remaining, the featherweight champ let his hands go, starting with his classic left counter. Three short and sharp punches followed and sent Alvarez to the mat. In the words of Joe Rogan on commentary, he was "done."

#2 Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone - UFC 246

At UFC 246, Conor McGregor returned to the octagon for the first time in over a year. Moving up to welterweight for his third UFC bout at 170 pounds, the Irishman faced veteran fan-favorite Donald Cerrone. Not many have taken as much damage in as little time as 'Cowboy' did inside Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena in January 2020.

After attacking right out of the gate, McGregor forced the 38-year-old to clinch. Cerrone wouldn't have expected what came next. Four unconventional but brutal shoulder strikes while the pair were locked up left the Denver-born welterweight with a broken, bloodied nose.

That was the beginning of the end. After trying to compose himself after they separated, Cerrone was caught with a picture-perfect left roundhouse kick to the head. A flying knee and a 20-second flurry of punches forced Herb Dean to step in and bring a brutal 40-second fight to an end.

#1 Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo - UFC 194

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more memorable knockout in the history of the UFC than when Conor McGregor slept Brazilian legend Jose Aldo at UFC 194. After building a perfect 6-0 UFC record that included wins over Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway, and beating Chad Mendes to be crowned interim featherweight champion, McGregor stood across the octagon from 'Junior' for a unification bout in 2015.

After just 13 seconds, McGregor was celebrating victory and Aldo was unconscious on the canvas. The KO was as technical and beautiful as it was brutal. As the 145-pound champ burst forward with an aggressive combo, the Irish superstar stepped back and threw a clinical counter left. Aldo, who hadn't been beaten in a decade and was on an 18-fight winning streak, was never the same after Conor McGregor's knockout strike.