Conor McGregor predicts how his rematch with UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier will go
Conor McGregor, it seems, is quite excited about the current state of the UFC lightweight division. After Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement announcement at UFC 254, the 155 pound division is wide open. However, Dana White claimed that Khabib hasn't relinquished the belt and is still the champion.
Conor McGregor is set to take on former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier early next year in a pivotal bout for the division.
McGregor tweeted out his prediction for the bout as part of a Twitter Q&A he did with fans. When asked by a fan about how long Dustin Poirier will last in the fight, Conor McGregor replied that he plans to finish the fight earlier than in their first bout at UFC 178 and improve on the manner of the finish as well.
McGregor TKO'ed Poirier in just one 1:46 of the very first round when they fought the first time. The Irishman caught Poirier behind the ear with a left hook and felled him.
After that, Conor would go forward and become the first simultaneous two-division champion in the UFC while Dustin would move up to the lightweight division and put together a great run of his own.
Dustin would capture the interim lightweight title against Max Holloway in April 2019 before losing it in a unification bout against lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in September.
Incidentally, both Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier were title defences for Khabib before he submitted Justin Gaethje in the second round at UFC 254.
While their first fight was between two up-and-comers trying to cement their place as title contenders for the featherweight title, the rematch between McGregor and Poirier promises to be a much bigger affair with both fighters having vastly improved in the last 6 years.
Both - especially McGregor - are much bigger box office draws as well.
Conor McGregor a top contender for the UFC lightweight championship
While there are many names being discussed, Conor McGregor remains at the top of the list of fighters who could get a title shot in the lightweight division.
Many are speculating that the winner of the Dustin - Conor rematch could be fighting for the 155-pound strap in his next UFC outing.