Just six months after drawing level in their career head-to-head, Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor after a freak injury ended the fight at the end of the first round on Saturday night at UFC 264 in Las Vegas.
McGregor was aggressive out of the gate, tearing away at Poirier’s midsection and lead leg with a slew of kicks before landing a few shots up top. Poirier sent McGregor back with a few stiff combinations before his opponent grabbed him up in the clinch. McGregor attempted a guillotine, but Poirier escaped on the ground to take top position. McGregor and Poirier traded huge elbows on the ground before Poirier got to his feet and jumped back in. Poirier dropped bombs on McGregor from on top, but the former champion landed a huge up kick.
At the end of the round, McGregor stepped backward and suffered a broken leg to end the fight. You can see the video here, but be warned it is not an easy watch.
Poirier needed just a round and a half to put McGregor down in January, using stifling leg kicks and precise strikes to TKO the former double champion. It was a drastically different Poirier than in his first bout against McGregor in 2014, where he suffered a first-round knockout at the hands of McGregor.
Both fighters came into Saturday night with a clear opening in the lightweight division to earn No. 1 contender status. With Khabib Nurmagomedov retired, the gap is razor-thin between Poirier as the UFC’s top contender for Charles Oliveira’s belt and the likes of Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson in the rankings. With the win though, Poirier looks in full control to see out a title shot against Oliveira.
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