Israel Adesanya breaks down UFC 264: Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3
![Israel Adesanya (left); McGregor vs. Poirier 3 BT Sport poster [Image Courtesy: @btsport on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/07/16d4d-16258289071176-800.jpg?w=500)
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya took to his YouTube channel to break down the upcoming trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. While 'The Last Stylebender' covered multiple fights, he was most excited about the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3 bout.
Giving his take on the fight, which takes place this Saturday at UFC 264, 'The Last Stylebender' said:
"This fight I feel definitely Conor will be back to using his wide stance, his in-and-out movement, that's one thing I feel like he'll have to do. It's a no-brainer. You can't just stand there and take that s**t again [calf kicks] 'cause if you think he's [Poirier's] not going to throw it because he said he's not going to throw it, he's going to throw it. Dustin I think is going to try and wrestle more again, early on probably this time just to kind of keep him [McGregor] guessing, 'cause he took him down quite easily the first time. He wants that to be in his mind. Even in the fight when Dustin is under pressure... he knows how to come back, he knows how to recover very well."
Highlighting what he believed to be the keys to victory for both fighters, Israel Adesanya said:
"Conor's key to victory: in-and-out movement, the darting, timing, draw his [Poirier's] attacks out and counter. Timing his counters, because he's got sick timing. Conor does. Not just at the head as well to the body."
"Dustin's key to victory: first thing my head said was feint the calf kick or feint the low kick. But establish it first, it won't take you much to establish it, but establish it first and then just show it. Wrestling, early on, so he [McGregor] can have that in his brain. Pressure, but not just useless pressure, not just walking forward and eating shots and throwing. Talking about like busy pressure, feinting, pawing, showing him the jab, off-beat, off-beat rear hand, that kind of stuff but you're in his [McGregor's] bubble. 'Cause Dustin is durable and unfortunately I wouldn't advise this, but sometimes you have to use that to your advantage."
Watch the video below:
Also Read: Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier: Height, weight and reach comparison
Israel Adesanya also analyzed the first two fights between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier
Before breaking down the third fight and how it could play out, the Nigerian UFC champion revisited the first two bouts between McGregor and Poirier.
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier first met at UFC 178 in a featherweight bout, which McGregor won via knockout in the first round. Speaking about that first encounter, Adesanya said:
"The first fight, Dustin gets bewildered, you know? Gets emotional throughout the lead-up, and Conor knew it, used that to his advantage. From the get-go, front leg hook kick, got cracked a little bit, came back up. Throwing straights, left straights, realized Dustin was blocking with the left straight then he [McGregor] went around the guard and cracked him and realized that's the shot right there. He had his karate stance, so he was able to dart in and out, so yeah... Conor was able to knock him out in the first round."
'The Last Stylebender' then proceeded to discuss the second fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. This bout was contested at lightweight and headlined UFC 257. Dustin Poirier became the first man to knock Conor McGregor out, a feat he accomplished in the second round of the fight. Israel Adesanya broke it down and offered a keen insight into McGregor's supposed mind games, saying:
"Second fight, Dustin is older, he's learned from his mistakes, he's been fighting a lot, a lot more than Conor. I thought in the second fight there was a mind game, but people kind of breezed past it because they didn't understand it. In my humble opinion, I felt like Mr. Nice Guy Conor was, I won't say a facade, but was a strategy. A strategy in the art of war, the art of warfare. It already worked the first time, and maybe Conor could see it was working the second time, so he used that route, you know? Keep your friends close, your enemies closer type of s**t."
Adesanya continued:
"When it came to the fight, DP was unemotional, strategic, implemented the calf kicks because Conor was also not [in a] karate stance, he was boxing. He was using a lot of his hands. But there was a bit where Conor got turned almost instantly, because the calf kicks made him want to lean on the fence for support."
The UFC middleweight champion proceeded to show the fight-ending sequence before finally moving on to his analysis of the third fight.
Also Read: "I think I'm going to wring his little neck" - Dustin Poirier gives his prediction for the UFC 264 fight against Conor McGregor