Conor McGregor suffered the first knockout loss of his MMA career at the hands of Dustin Poirier in their much-awaited showdown at UFC 257.
Proving several MMA experts right who predicted that Dustin Poirier has improved leaps and bounds since their last encounter in 2014, 'The Diamond' shone bright in the octagon tonight, using smartly placed calf kicks and boxing combinations to secure the biggest win of his career so far.
Dustin Poirier hands Conor McGregor the first KO of his career
Conor McGregor has lost four times in his professional career, two of which came in UFC in the hands of Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov. On all four occasions, Conor McGregor lost via submission. This was the first time in his career an opponent bested him on the feet and secured a knockout win against 'The Notorious'.
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Conor McGregor had predicted a KO against Dustin Poirier within 60 seconds, leading up to their bout. However, Dustin Poirier showed that he is indeed not the fighter The Irishman had faced back in 2014.
Both the fighters have done great things with their career since their last face-off. Conor McGregor had gone on to become the first-ever two-division champion, while Dustin Poirier secured the interim lightweight title. However, it seemed like ring rust had finally caught up with Conor McGregor, as he was rocked by Dustin Poirier's punches in a scenario that has never before happened inside the octagon.
The win against Conor McGregor lines Dustin Poirier up for a possible title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov, that is if he comes out of retirement instead of vacating the belt. In the post-fight interview, Poirier addressed Max Holloway and his claim that he is the best boxer in the UFC, and pointed out that he has two wins over the former featherweight champion.