Conor McGregor has a different view from many fans of how his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier was going before its sudden conclusion.
At UFC 264, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier competed for the third time to settle once and for all who is the better man. After a much more hostile fight build-up than the rematch, including mentions of wife DMs and unfulfilled charity donations, the two finally faced off to put an end to the rivalry.
However, after McGregor suffered a broken leg in the first round, Poirier was awarded the victory via doctor’s stoppage, leaving many people with only more questions instead of the answers they were expecting.
Four months later, those questions continue to linger. Tuesday, McGregor took to social media to field many of them from Twitter users while also offering a series of statements and claims along the way.
Conor McGregor Chats It Up With Fans Over Poirier Trilogy Bout
First, after he provided advice on how to defend the kimura lock in response to a since-deleted tweet, he then provided a scorecard of the leg kicks between him and Poirier in the trilogy fight.
“Score first. Check the trilogy. I was up 8 low kicks to 1 before the injury.”
McGregor then discussed how his upkick game has improved.
“My upkicks and open guard attacks have gone to another level since this fight. Look at the Dustin trilogy fight. He backed away due to the up kicks and those nasty elbows he was eating heavy. I’ll scoot into open guard attacks if I have to going forward. For sure!”
One fan then presented McGregor with an image of Poirier putting his toe in the cage to help defend McGregor’s guillotine. McGregor didn’t seem to mind it at all, though.
“I mean, I don’t care. I won’t ever look to the ref or anyone bar myself to adjust in a fight. You do what you got to do in there. The leg was broke before the guillotine it’s why I went for it. He was getting lumped around everywhere. Open space. Clinch. Bottom. Lumped around.”
McGregor then shared a clip towards the end of the fight, where he stated his leg was already broken.
“Good angle. Can see the leg was broke before I even stood up. It was broke before the guillotine even. It’s why I went for it. 4 shots to zero here in this clip to close the fight before the injury. This fight was going my way 100%. But big congrats lads hahaha ye right. Rats.”
“Can see the weight in those upkicks he was eating here as well. Which weren’t even the two heaviest upkicks I landed. Where was he going from open guard top here? He not like upkicks thru the face? Elbows down thru the crown? No like? Tough shit, see ya soon.”
One fan chimed in, stating that McGregor was getting “pumped” and “owned” by Poirier, to which the Irishman responded as follows:
“Pumped where? He was lumped around every position. Open space. Clinch. Bottom. There was nowhere he could go if that goes in that second round. You just a blind hater bro I’m sorry. God bless ya.”
When a fan suggested that Poirier’s ground-and-pound was far more significant than McGregor’s upkicks, he received a scoff for a reply.
“Lol what? Push shots they were from top. Garbage. Zero effect. Look at him post fight he was chewed up in the brain mate. His head was sorer, my leg was sorer, who won the fight? A riddle.”
Next, a fan expressed dismay that anyone would “flex” this much after a loss. The only problem? McGregor does not know what loss the fan was speaking of.
“No loss was had here. That was my fight to win before the injury.”
When the next fan pleaded with McGregor to “be honest” with himself and acknowledge that he had no answers for Poirier during the fight and that he had no chance if the bout went forward, McGregor directed them to the post-fight interview as evidence.
“Lol. Look at the post fight interviews. He didn’t know what happened to his head. I dug those elbows into his brain. They change the whole make up of who are, them elbows. If anything they should be illegal ahahahah straight down into the soft spot of the crown.”
As he has in the past, McGregor would then dispute that it was a checked kick that broke his leg.
“It cracked from one of my own kicks early in the round. There was no check. Not one,” McGregor clarified.
Finally, a fan asked McGregor why he would fight if he was injured coming into the bout. His response was consistent with previous assurances that he never pulls out of a fight.
“Because it’s in my blood to fight. If I am to fight, I am fighting,” McGregor said.”
McGregor would then close out this quasi-Q&A session by answering which of his UFC 264 attacks were more damaging: the elbows from bottom or the upkicks from the bottom. McGregor answered with certainty.
“The two combined are tasty. I’d say the elbows way more damaging tho. Dug in to the soft part of the crown where you don’t touch on a baby’s head. It’s a part of the skull that remains somewhat soft for life. Touch the area now and try and imagine someone digging there elbow into”
Conor McGregor is currently said to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from his July leg surgery. It is unknown what the future holds for him upon his return. At the time of his injury, many thought that a fourth fight with Poirier seemed probable. However, if Poirier were to win the world title at UFC 269 while McGregor is not even ranked in the division’s top 5, that could complicate things.
What do you make of Conor McGregor’s analysis of his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264?
Continue Reading McGregor Goes Back & Forth With Fans Over UFC 264 Performance at MMA News.