On January 23rd, 2021, in the Ethihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, Dustin Poirier stunned the world with a sensational second-round knockout victory against famous lightweight fighter Conor McGregor. The fight was a mixed martial arts event produced by the UFC in the lightweight division. The double champion Conor Mcgregor was the clear favorite going into the ring, so his defeat was shocking. 

This was not Conor McGregor’s first fight against Dustin Poirier: several years earlier, the Irishman and the American squared off in Las Vegas. “The Diamond” (Dustin Poirier) and “The Notorious” (Connor McGregor) were in the UFC 178 fight, an event that would lead to McGregor becoming known as one of the top featherweight fighters. McGregor was fluid and alert from the very beginning, as he landed a couple of early spin kicks and evaded an iconic Poirier uppercut. Following this dodge, he countered with a clean punch and follow-up, which forced the official to call the match off at just one minute and 46 seconds. This fight helped McGregor establish his name as a future star, which led “The Notorious” to becoming the icon we know today.

Both fighters matured and changed after this fight. Dustin Poirier was angry and insecure following his loss in 2014. Now, though, he has an admirable record, went up a weight class, fought for a world title, and had a daughter. Additionally, Poirier did lots of charity work, and the 2021 version of Poirier is much calmer and more centered in comparison to his old self. This is reflected in his fight against McGregor, as he was able to win through his patience. The first round of the fight consisted of a series of composed leg kicks, with the attempts to slowly wear down McGregor’s lead leg and shut down his renowned blitzes. Through a series of leg kicks and grappling, Poirier got the opening he needed to destroy McGregor’s land, a volley of punches that would finish McGregor off in the second round. The composed Poirier never allowed the fight to turn into a brawl. Following the fight, he stated, “The goal was to be technical and to pick my shots… I boxed well with Conor.” “The Diamond” is now the number one ranked lightweight fighter in the UFC. 

Following the fight, McGregor admitted that he ‘deserved’ this defeat and is now excited for a third fight. He wrote, “What a trilogy I now have on my hands. Exciting!” Further, he wrote, “I am most certainly on the right path. Despite the loss, I am on the correct path of evolution.” McGregor enjoyed being able to fight again and admitted that he deserved the loss for thinking that this fight was just a precursor to a boxing match against Manny Pacquiao.