Dustin Poirier does not have your typical, run-of-the-mill game plan for his fight against Conor McGregor at UFC 257.
One thing Dustin Poirier has become known for in his mixed martial arts career is all the wars he has been in. We’ve learned that Poirier can dish it out as well as he can take it, and if a fight does not have blood, then Poirier does not feel at home. At UFC 257, Dustin Poirier hopes for a bloody homecoming when he faces Conor McGregor in a test of wills that would reveal just who is who.
“If you’re talking about game plan, what I want is for both of us to be dripping blood and hurting and suffering early in the fight, then we can find out who’s the real fighter,” Poirier said in the This Past Weekend podcast. “That’s what I want. I want to be bleeding with a minute off the first-round clock.
“I want us both to be bleeding and really have to dig down and see who’s the better fighter, and see who really wants to be in there,” Poirier continued. “Because I don’t have a safety net…I want to be in there, and I know that. I know that, and I’d like to find out if he does.”
McGregor Has Been To This Dark Place Before
The only drawn-out war Conor McGregor has been in was against Nate Diaz at UFC 202. McGregor was able to dig deep and come away from this battle with the victory. This fight proved that McGregor was not all flash and style but also has some heart when needed.
But for Dustin Poirier, heart is one of his trademarks, and this attribution has led him to more wins than perhaps any other feature of The Diamond. Odds are that if Poirier/McGregor turns out to be a war the likes of McGregor/Diaz or a standard Dustin Poirier fight, this would favor Poirier due to his deep experience edge in this department.
For what it’s worth, though, Conor McGregor has an entirely different vision for how the fight will play out, with the Irishman predicting that it will not extend past one minute. At UFC 257, we’ll learn if Poirier gets his wish or if another Mystic Mac prediction comes true.
UFC 257 takes place January 23, 2021, from Fight Island and will stream exclusively on ESPN+.
What do you make of Dustin Poirier’s game plan for Conor McGregor?
