Conor McGregor claims rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov will be the easiest fight of his career
Conor McGregor believes that he will have an easy outing against Dustin Poirier this weekend at UFC 257 but he claims it will not be as easy as a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov would be.
McGregor and Poirier are set to do battle in a lightweight bout which will headline the first UFC pay-per-view of the year, set to take place on January 23 at the Yas Islands in Abu Dhabi. When the pair fought each other six years ago, Conor McGregor took under two minutes to put Poirier to sleep.
However, it's been six years since then and Poirier is a much-improved fighter since joining the lightweight division. Many pundits believe that this time around, the fight is going to be evenly poised but Conor McGregor begs to differ.
In an interaction with TSN reporter Aaron Bronsteter, Conor McGregor said that he believes that he will pick up an easy win against Dustin Poirier in their rematch at UFC 257. He further stated that though the rematch against Poirier will be easy pickings for him, it wouldn't be as much of a stroll in the park when compared to a potential rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“I’ll tell you what, this will be an easy rematch for me this Sunday, but it won’t be my easiest rematch. When I get that rematch against Khabib, it will be an easy rematch, and I guarantee this. If he wants to continue running, that is no problem I will eliminate the rest of them. Besides him who ran, it is Dustin. He has knocked out Justin, beat Dan Hooker, and Chandler he is coming from a lower league and hasn’t been tested in the UFC so we will see."
Conor McGregor claims he'll show the gulf in class between him and other top-ranked fighters in the lightweight division
According to Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier is currently the toughest matchup for him in the lightweight division. Having said so, McGregor believes he will step inside the octagon, create some magic, and easily dispatch Poirier in the main event of UFC 257. The Irishman said that the gulf in class between him and the rest of the division will be very apparent this weekend.
“Justin has beaten Tony, I would say Dustin is right up there that is why I am excited about it, that is why you are going to see the levels and the difference of levels between myself and the top of the division. I am in space, I am not from here, that is where I am at. I’m on a different planet with my skillset and I look forward to showcasing it this Sunday morning in Abu Dhabi.”
Conor McGregor fought Khabib Nurmagomedov UFC 229 back in 2018. The Irishman suffered what is likely the biggest loss of his professional career, submitting to a neck crank in the fourth round of the fight. If McGregor manages to get rid of Poirier at UFC 257, fans might see a rematch between him and Nurmagomedov down the line.