Conor McGregor got knocked out for the first time in his career by Dustin Poirier at the main event at UFC 257 on Fight Island.
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The Notorious, Conor McGregor returned to the Octagon after a year away to face Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. The American star shocked the world by knocking McGregor out in 2 minutes and 32 seconds of round two. Poirier, after the match, said that he was happy with the win but not surprised because he had put in the work in the build-up to the fight. The 32-year-old currently stands second in the flyweight division and his famed opponent Conor McGregor sits fourth. Despite the standings, everyone considered Poirier the underdog going up against one of the best in the business. The underdog tag was justified given that the last time the two had faced each other, McGregor knocked out Poirier in just 109 seconds in the first round. This, therefore, was Poirier’s opportunity to settle things and come back with a vengeance.
UFC 257 witnessed McGregor’s first-ever defeat by technical Knockout. The match started with McGregor in control, until Poirier decided to take him down to the floor which every UFC fan knows, is McGregor’s weakness. But the former champion did well to get back on his feet and started landing punches on Dustin. Poirier who took several punches was still landing constant kicks on McGregor’s calves and kept working on McGregor’s legs, trying to taking things down to the floor to avoid any heavier hits to his face.
No one expected what happened in the second round of the fight though. Poirier continued to damage McGregor’s legs and when he caught the Irishman off guard, he started throwing wild punches at him. One big left-hand knock put McGregor into the canvas and then Poirier pounded on him before Herb Dean stopped the fight.
McGregor in his post-match interview said that “The low half kick was very good, but Dustin is some fighter. I’ll dust it off and come back because that’s what I’ll do. I’ll take my licks”. The way McGregor took the defeat showcased the kind of champion the man is and as if that wasn’t enough, McGregor even donated $500,000 to Poirier’s charity – The Good Fight Foundation.
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After the defeat, McGregor’s UFC record is now 22-5, while Dustin Poirier is 27-6 and will be in for the UFC Lightweight belt, which he will either inherit or have to fight the retired Khabib Nurmagomedov for, depending on the number one fighter’s retirement plans.
[Image Credit: UFC]
Shashank Iyer