"He's faster than Dustin!" - Demetrious Johnson reveals how Conor McGregor can defeat Dustin Poirier in trilogy fight
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier may have already fought twice, but UFC fans around the world are now salivating over a potential trilogy. While Conor got the better of Dustin in their first encounter, the grit of the 'Diamond' was on display during their rematch at UFC 257. After stopping Conor McGregor in the second round via technical knockout, rumors of a possible rubber match were almost immediately underway.
Now, with fans and fighters of the UFC making their picks between the two, a pay-per-view massacre hosting their third bout seems right around the corner.
Who picked Conor McGregor for the trilogy?
UFC fighters, both current and former, have always taken a keen interest in fellow competitors. One such fighter who made his predictions for the Conor-Dustin trilogy was former UFC flyweight champion - Demetrious Johnson. Whilst speaking with Helen Yee on the 'Helen Yee Sports' channel, Johnson was asked about who he foresaw as the winner of the fight. Breaking down the analysis, Johnson said:
"Once again I feel like Dustin is been through a lot of wars. I think he's battle tested. Think about it! During the pandemic, he's been putting in work. Conor hasn't been as active and in this game, the more active you are, the better off you're going to be.
"But it all depends on how Conor McGregor approaches this fight. Is he going to work on all aspects of mixed martial arts and not worry about striking or is he going to be fluid like he was the first time?"
Speaking further, Johnson said that an increase of ten pounds from the first fight is unlikely to have had an effect on the outcome of the rematch.
"No I don't think it played a factor at all. I feel like Conor and Dustin are the same size. I just feel that Dustin has been battle-tested. Conor tends to fade in the later rounds while Dustin gets stronger in the later rounds. So going into the next fight, he has to keep that in mind. He's faster than Dustin! He was lands clean shots, but he needs to do that for five rounds straight."
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier now seem closer than ever to signing a trilogy fight. But with Michael Chandler's iconic debut performance at UFC 257, do you think Dana White and the UFC may be going in another direction?
Be sure to leave us with your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!