Watch: Conor McGregor kicks Dustin Poirier after an intense face-off at UFC 264 pre-fight press conference
Following their war of words during the UFC 264 pre-fight press conference, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier squared off in the traditional fighter face-off ceremony. It was during this face-off that ‘The Notorious One’ kicked ‘The Diamond’.
While the kick didn’t appear to land clean or hurt Poirier, the face-off was quickly broken off. UFC president Dana White and UFC security personnel responded swiftly by separating the fighters, lest they hurt each other and put the fight at risk with a potential injury.
Needless to say, Conor McGregor's kick got the fans in attendance pumped up. Fans cheered for Mystic Mac who’d notably brought his peak trash-talking persona to the press conference.
You can watch the fighter face-off between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, as well as the Irishman's kick, in the Instagram post below –
After throwing the kick, Conor McGregor walked around on-stage while staring at Dustin Poirier before eventually making his way down the stage.
McGregor then proceeded to retreat to the backstage area once his fighter face-off session with Poirier was completed.
The Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier trilogy matchup – one of the biggest fights of 2021 – will headline UFC 264
The first fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier was contested at featherweight and took place at UFC 178 (September 2014). McGregor won that fight via first-round TKO.
Both Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier ascended to great heights of success in the ensuing years. McGregor went on to win the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles, while Poirier won the interim UFC lightweight title.
The two veteran MMA fighters would meet for a second time inside the octagon about seven years later. The rematch between McGregor and Poirier was contested at lightweight and transpired at UFC 257 (January 2021). Poirier won the rematch via second-round TKO.
Presently, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are scheduled to compete in their trilogy fight which, akin to their rematch, will be contested at lightweight.
The McGregor-Poirier trilogy fight will headline the UFC 264 fight card on July 10th, 2021. The winner of this matchup is expected to fight UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the title next.