Conor McGregor’s striking coach Owen Roddy recently talked to The Mac Life, speaking about the Irishman’s upcoming fight against Dustin Poirier. While Poirier has certainly beaten some of the best the lightweight division has to offer, Roddy sees holes in his game, particularly when it comes to his defense.
“He’s technically good,” Roddy said about Poirier. “He’s [got] good hands, he’s tough, he’s durable and he sets a pace. I think it’s a combination of those things that’s allowed him to have that success. But he always gets rocked in every fight.
“People don’t punch like Conor. His opponents don’t punch like Conor. All Conor needs is a split second. A half an inch to see the shot, and once he bangs the shot, you’re going to be out. You’re going to be on wobbly legs, and if you’re on wobbly legs, it will be the next one that finishes you.”
In Poirier’s most recent fight with Dan Hooker, he absorbed 155 significant strikes over five rounds, eating two more strikes than he dished out. There were very similar numbers in Poirier’s win over Holloway in 2019 after the former champion connected with 181 significant strikes.
Roddy believes the kind of punishment Poirier typically takes in his fights can’t measure up to the sheer amount of damage that McGregor can cause.
“Poirier gets hit an awful lot, so I believe it’s just a matter of time,” Roddy said. “When Conor hits him, how long can he last after that. Whether he goes to sleep straight or he toughs it out a little bit, but Conor has 25 minutes in there to land on the chin. For me, there’s serious odds.”
While Roddy can’t be exactly sure that the rematch will play out the same way, he expects to see a similar result in the end. With McGregor finishing the fight.
“I always say this, it’s going to take Conor maybe a minute or so, two minutes and Conor could see the shot in 10 seconds, you never know,” Roddy said. “But it might take Conor a couple of minutes to find a shot and land a shot. Once he lands the shot, Poirier’s either asleep or he’s out on his feet and then it’s only a matter of time before the second one lands. Whether it takes a couple of minutes or a round or two, Conor will find the shots.
“Conor has the best ability in the world to get the read of his opponents. You could bring somebody in that Conor has never seen before, never watched and you just watch Conor. He throws his shots out there, he feels it out, he records the reactions and then he finds the killer blow and then he lands. 99-percent of people don’t recover after that first shot so I see it going the exact same way.” (Transcribed by MMA Fighting)
It is certainly an intriguing perspective from the striking coach of the Irishman. Poirier has drastically improved since their first fight, but do you think that will be enough? We’ll find out in 24 days. Full interview below!
Do you agree with Owen Roddy? Will Dustin Poirier struggle to stand up to Conor McGregor’s power?