Conor McGregor: ‘I Will Knock Dustin Out Inside 60 Seconds’
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier‘s long-awaited rematch is now only days away. The Irishman enters UFC 257 as a considerable favorite. With UFC president Dana White stating that the winner will likely be the next to fight for the Lightweight belt, tensions have never been higher. While the two elite lightweights have faced off in the octagon before, they have both evolved as fighters to such a degree that the two men who once fought on the undercard of UFC 178 are no longer recognizable.
Their first matchup took place in 2014, back when both athletes fought at Featherweight. McGregor dominated Poirier, both mentally and physically. The fight was stopped in the first round via TKO. However since then, Dustin Poirier has become one of the most prolific Lightweights on the planet. Having fought his way to a title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov, he fell short at the final hurdle. Despite this, ‘The Diamond’ rebounded in 2020, with a fight of the year candidate against fellow Lightweight prospect Dan Hooker.
Just as Poirier was defeated by Nurmagomedov, McGregor also picked up a loss to ‘The Eagle’. However, he too bounced back with a first round finish over Donald Cerrone.
Poirier’s improvements are undeniable, with the evidence clear as shown by wins over Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway and Eddie Alvarez. Despite this, McGregor still thinks there will be little change from their first meeting. In yet another iconic quote for the ‘Notorious’ one, McGregor has boldly proclaimed:
“I love Dustin, he’s a good fighter. [Maybe] he’s even a great fighter, but great is still levels below me. I will knock Dustin out inside 60 seconds” (H/T TalkSport).
The event will mark the first PPV card of the year, and is now confirmed to have a limited number of fans in attendance. Tickets for which are already sold out.
Do you think Conor McGregor will deliver on his quick KO promise at UFC 257?
