Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
- Dustin Poirier just beat Conor McGregor. Again.
- Poirier established authority on their UFC 264 match before the Irishman broke a bone.
- McGregor left the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on a stretcher.
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Dustin Poirier won his three-fight rivalry with Conor McGregor after the Irishman injured his leg during their trilogy Saturday at UFC 264 inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor made classless comments about Poirier's wife Jolie during fight week and said the American would leave the Octagon on a stretcher. He even issued frequent death threats.
That bad blood almost spilled over at a media event, and again mere moments before the opening bell, as McGregor appeared desperate to get his hands on the man who had knocked him out just six months prior.
With only one win against multiple losses during a dour five-year run, McGregor was fighting for his career.
And though he had moments of success in the lightweight match, it was not long before Poirier established a clear authority on the fight, smashing the Irishman with strikes during stand-up, and elbows when on the ground.
At the end of the first round, Poirier threw another combination at McGregor and, when he planted his left foot to re-set, his leg buckled from underneath him and he dropped to the canvas in agony.
The snap left McGregor in no fit state to continue and so the referee Herb Dean called an end to the bout - Poirier had won.
McGregor protested the result, and yelled to anyone who would listen, while lying on the canvas with his back against the fence.
The crowd - a full capacity allowance - was almost as incensed as McGregor as the fight appeared to be over at a time when it had been at its most exciting.
"Everybody booing, you can kiss my whole a--h----," Poirier, in no mood to make friends, said in his post-fight interview. "Karma's not a bitch, she's a mirror," he added. "I beat the guy."
McGregor said: "This is not over," before he was stretchered out of the arena - a fate he had promised Poirier would suffer.
With victory, Poirier advanced his pro MMA record 28 wins (14 knockouts, seven submissions, and seven decisions) against six losses.
He will now likely be thrust into a UFC lightweight title shot against the current champion Charles Oliveira.