No one could have expected American Dustin Poirier to knock out Irishman Conor McGregor at UFC 257. This opinion was expressed on Sunday, January 24, by boxer, trainer Veli Mammadov in an interview with REN TV.
“Nobody expected such an outcome of the fight. Everyone was of the opinion that either McGregor would knock out Poirier in the early rounds, or that Poirier would try to stretch the fight beyond the third round and “breathe” Conor’s functional condition there. But the fight ended completely unexpectedly for everyone, ”he said.
According to the coach, at the beginning of the fight, Poirier was confused by the pressure of McGregor and tried to take an advantageous distance for himself, but he did not succeed.
“Poirier waited to make an unexpected explosion. Porye is great, he prepared himself very competently and clearly, perhaps a simple Conor in two years is not easy, ”the coach said.
The bout between McGregor and former interim lightweight champion Poirier took place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Poirier knocked out his opponent in the second round.
Earlier, the Russian weightlifter Mikhail Koklyaev predicted the victory of the Irishman in the battle with the American.
On the eve of the fight, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said that if the fight ends early, the Irishman will win. However, he pointed out that if the former lightweight champion of the interim belt holds out until the third or fourth round, he will beat the opponent.
McGregor and Poirier had already fought six years ago, when the Irishman won a crushing victory.