The Irish professional mixed martial artist Conor McGregor (15 wins, 3 losses) will meet the US fighter Dustin Porier (10 victories, 2 defeats, 1 draw) in a rematch of their first bout six years ago. The fight is scheduled for July 11 and will be held at UFC annual tournament «International Fight Week» in Las Vegas as part of UFC International Fight Week, which usually takes place around the same time as the biggest music festival «Coachella» nearby.
The history of confrontation between McGregor and Porier lasts more than 6.5 years – for the first time the fighters met in one octagon in late September 2014 at the UFC 178 tournament in Las Vegas, and then it was an ordinary fight of two rising stars.
What to expect from Conor McGregor and Dustin Porier
UFC lightweight Conor McGregor has transcended many boundaries since his arrival to this sport back in 2012. Not only did he manage to become a household name, but also won three belts, held the longest winning streak in the UFC history, and became the first foreigner to hold a belt on the US soil.
McGregor is a tough fighter. He became champion of two weight classes in the UFC. Porier was also a tough fighter and he made it to the championship belt that is an interim belt at the same time as McGregor was there.
McGregor is considered to be one of three best UFC fighters along с Ronda Rousey and Tyron Woodley according to an official ranking published by ESPN on May 5, 2017 . Last December the Irish MMA fighter managed not only to defend his featherweight belt but also won the lightweight belt at the 170 lbs. limit once again stopping Eddie Alvarez in New York City at Madison Square Garden. McGregor has achieved all of this with a record 21 knockouts and no defeats.
For reference: In February 2014 McGregor became the first Irishman who went into the ring at UFC with Dustin Porier – after four rounds he took the victory by a unanimous decision.
Pre-fight breakdown of Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Porter
As for this meeting of the Irishman and American already in the first match it was not just a pleasant date at which there were scandals between participants and their entourage; they even fell out with each other during the fight as McGregor knocked Porter to the ground and then started pounding him from above.
However, on July 11 UFC will gather them again in the octagon and this meeting can change everything – if Conor proves his superiority once again he’ll be one step closer to Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive wins in the history of Ultimate Fighting Championship, if not – Trevor’s victory may become an important point in his career and show that ‘The Notorious’ has weak points which his next opponents will try to find out and use against him.
UFC rarely give fighters rematches, but Conor McGregor and Dustin Porier have a history. In 2014 Conor knocked out the young Porter with a signature thrashing and knockout in 106 seconds at UFC 178. Six-plus years later, Dustin had a chance to get even for the loss, which he gladly took, finishing McGregor at UFC 257 in a round and a half.
Experts thought Conor would win the second fight because he had not lost for a long time. Porier had an advantage in some ways, but Conor was good in other ways. Diamond has not lost at a high level since 2016 and since then, he beat people like Anthony Pettis, Justin Gagey, Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway and Dan Hooker.
Poirier (his opponent) was a regular fighter and he fought against many of the best fighters. He didn’t stop fighting, so he got stronger. In the rematch, Porier beat his opponent McGregor because he had grown stronger with practice and experience.
- Justin Gagey was the opponent in a fight. Dustin Porter felt the effectiveness of half-kicks, which are low kicks below the knee. In their rematch, he focused on those kicks and they were effective against Conor, who didn’t know how to fight them.
- Porier learned that he needed to combine wrestling and standup when fighting Khabib. This made Khabib uncomfortable, so he could attack him. When he fought McGregor again, Porier delivered a hard hit which made Conor fall down at a comfortable pace. After this, Conor had to grapple instead of boxing.
Conor McGregor and Dustin Porier fight on July 11
The fighters were ready for their next fight after the last fight. They want to finish the duel. The final round will happen in Las Vegas on July 11, but there is not a date yet for UFC 264 tournament. This time people have been fighting online and the most important fight is coming up soon.
Conor McGregor – Dustin Porier 3 Fight Prediction
With all of the above facts in mind, a Dustin Porier win in the trilogy no longer seems like something sensational. Even if Conor does some work on his mistakes and has the best camp of his career, we’re unlikely to see the kind of fervor and good fortune that accompanied him at his peak.
One thing remains the same: it is important for Porier to be careful in the first round, to find his distance and make sure psychologically that he can hold McGregor’s punches again.
Our prediction for the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Porier 3 fight: Dustin Porier wins and Dustin Porier wins by knockout/technical knockout/disqualification or decision.
