Conor McGregor hints that he's about to unload shoulder strikes on Dustin Poirier at UFC 264
Conor McGregor has seemingly hinted that he’s about to unload shoulder strikes on Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
Conor McGregor is 1-1 against Dustin Poirier in their series of fights as of this time, with their highly anticipated trilogy fight set to take place at UFC 264 in July 2021. Ahead of his all-important showdown against Poirier, McGregor took to his official Twitter account and revealed that he has a chip on his shoulder.
Conor McGregor’s tweet read as follows:
“I’ve got a big chip on my shoulder and I’m gonna break another few faces with it.”
Conor McGregor asserted that he has a big chip on his shoulder and that he’s going to break a few faces with it. The Notorious One’s concise tweet has set the combat sports world abuzz, primarily owing to the fact that many believe this tweet of his to be an allegory.
To have a chip on one’s shoulder is an idiom. An individual who has a chip on their shoulder is one who’s angry and combative because they feel they’ve been treated unfairly and/or because they feel they’re inferior to others.
The consensus in the MMA community is that Conor McGregor has claimed to have a chip on his shoulder, as he’s angry and motivated to exact revenge after his recent loss against Dustin Poirier.
While the connotation of the initial part of Conor McGregor’s tweet was simply the idiom – to have a chip on one’s shoulder – the latter part of this tweet is believed to be an allegory.
In simple terms, the latter part of this tweet is believed to contain a hidden meaning. McGregor has made reference to something marvelous that he’s done in the past, and he’s promising to do it yet again.
A chip, as an individual word, has many denotations in the English language. However, in this context, the chip is meant to be a small piece made up of hard material.
In the latter part of the tweet, Conor McGregor emphasized that he intends to break faces with the chip on his shoulder. While the aforementioned idiom doesn’t literally mean that an individual has a chip on their shoulder, McGregor has insinuated that he literally has a chip on his shoulder with which he’ll break his foes’ faces.
In case Mystic Mac’s gift of gab has mystified you, rest assured that he doesn’t literally have a chip on his shoulder. McGregor has simply made a play of words with the idiom and has alluded to hurting his foes with a metaphorical chip on his shoulder.
Conor McGregor used the ‘chip’ on his shoulder against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and looks to replicate it against Dustin Poirier
The tweet sent out by Conor McGregor is a reference to McGregor’s iconic victory against fellow MMA legend Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone. McGregor defeated Cerrone via TKO just 40 seconds into round one of their fight at UFC 246 (January 2020).
The fight witnessed Conor McGregor use vicious shoulder strikes in the clinch to disorient Cerrone. McGregor then swiftly closed the show with a head kick and punches.
Conor McGregor’s next fight, also his most recent one, was his rematch against Dustin Poirier that transpired at UFC 257 (January 2021). McGregor did use shoulder strikes in this fight as well and was winning the early exchanges until Poirier’s leg kicks severely compromised his mobility.
Poirier eventually caught stationary McGregor with a barrage of punches along the fence, securing a second-round TKO win. That said, McGregor does own a win over Poirier, having beaten the latter via first-round TKO at UFC 178 (September 2014).
On that note, Conor McGregor, via his tweet, has suggested that he could fire shoulder strikes at Dustin Poirier in their upcoming fight.
The much-awaited trilogy matchup between McGregor and Poirier will take place at UFC 264 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 10th, 2021.