Conor McGregor just made his UFC return after a year, but it did not end up going well for him. McGregor saw himself out-classed and out humbled in the main event of UFC 257. The main culprit of his downfall was leg kicks.
Conor’s opponent on the night, Dustin Poirier, absolutely tore into his legs from the opening bell. Each kick did significant damage, and Conor would eventually crumble under the weight of those kicks. With his movement compromised, ‘The Notorious’ couldn’t fend off Dustin’s pressure for too long and lost in the second round. He spoke about it in the post-fight press conference.
"It's heartbreaking."
Win or lose Conor McGregor always comes out to face the music. Whatever your opinion of him, you must respect that. #UFC257 pic.twitter.com/RZM9GaycoU
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) January 24, 2021
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Conor said that he tried to check the leg kicks that Poirier threw at him, but they didn’t work. He had mentioned that inactivity was the main cause for this loss in his post-fight conference. The damage on his leg was evident, as McGregor has been using crutches ever since the fight. He wasn’t able to put pressure on it while going down the stairs from the press conference stage.
Conor McGregor’s leg clearly in pain as he gets off the stage and leaves the presser #UFC257 pic.twitter.com/LVJqNqgqiv
— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) January 24, 2021
Conor McGregor: What does this mean for his future?
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The first thought in McGregor’s head won’t be about his next fight. After all, he just went through a war after a long time. Poirier gave him way more than he could handle, and the way the fight ended proved it.
Conor McGregor has said he wants to stay active in 2021, even after he lost this fight. There are a fair few opponents that the UFC could book him against.
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Tony Ferguson is always a solid option considering their history. However, the most alluring option will be a possible Nate Diaz trilogy fight at 155, especially after Diaz was announced to be returning to the division.
Right now, Conor needs to heal up. His leg looked bad, and he took a fair amount of shots from Dustin during this fight. Hopefully, he can keep his positive attitude and return to the octagon in a timely way and not let 2021 slip by.