Conor McGregor returns to the UFC octagon this weekend to take on Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier. Ahead of the trilogy bout, the Irish star is focussing solely on his preparations for the fight. In his first media appearance this week, Conor McGregor talked about the adjustments he has made coming into this fight. He also highlighted the differences in his training camp for UFC 264.
It was clear from the interview that fans might not get to see the old Conor McGregor this time around. In the build-up to this fight, both corners have taken shots at each other since they last fought. Both Poirier and McGregor seem more driven and motivated to get their hand raised on Saturday.
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When asked if he agrees with fans comparing this trilogy fight with the second Nate Diaz fight, he replied by saying that the difference lies in his ability to deliver “kill shots“.
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“Every shot I have thrown in this camp is a kill shot. So, yeah, that’s it. I’m going to kill this man,” said McGregor.
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Changes in Conor McGregor’s training camp
Conor McGregor shared that he has made significant adjustments ahead of this fight. He said that because of the possibility of a boxing match with Manny Pacquiao, his training camp for the second Poirier fight was “85% camp for boxing“. However, the camp for this fight shifted its focus entirely to mixed martial arts.
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“Just a slaughter and a play with a scared little boy. He’s fighting scared like he always does, like they always do against me, so now I’m going to play with the little boy, play with me food, and then just devour it,” said Conor McGregor, confident in his training and his abilities.
Based on his comments about “kill shots”, could that mean that Conor McGregor is aiming for a knockout in the earlier rounds? This could also imply a possibility of the fight going into the later rounds. Most experts, including his arch-rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, have predicted that the Irishman has a higher chance of winning the fight in the earlier rounds.
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However, ‘the Notorious’ has a track record of proving people wrong. If both fighters last all 5 rounds, fans might get to see the full potential of ‘The Diamond’. He has displayed his abilities over five rounds against Dan Hooker in one of the fights of 2020.