Just watched Poirier vs Hooker

[bigconan]

Yeah but I believe Conor is past his prime at this point and hasn't fought much these past few years so it should be interesting.

past his prime at 31...haha nah...not even close...he looked better than ever against cerrone.

 

[Dirge]

Conor got slept by Nate Diaz and I don't think Nate Diaz is in my Top 10 at 155. Thus, IMO this fight is more competitive than the bookmaker odds suggest because there are a lot of fans and Irish $$$ pushing the line higher. The bookies want to have a relatively even amount of wagers on McGregor and Poirier that cancel each other out which allows the bookies to pocket the 10% vigorish relatively risk free off the losing bets.

Personally I hope Poirier wins so the 155 division remains functional and the McGregor circus doesn't FUDGE things up for a year or two with his nonsense and avoiding top contenders. The fighters at 155 work hard and they deserve to compete for titles rather than holding up the division for some fast talking Twitter typing leprechaun who is constantly holding out for more $$$ and doesn't fight the best 2x or 3x per year like all the other top contenders.

I agree with pretty much most of what you said other than activity levels. Khabib only averaged one fight per year as well.

Seems like once guys get the belt in the UFC, their activity levels drop off a cliff.

 

[Szwok]

If Dustin stop lunging in to throw hooks then maybe he can win. Otherwise its over quickly for him.

 

[Pilo]

Great fight but nothing in it showed me that Conor doesnt sleep Dusting inside 1 round again.

Srsly, Dusting is a walking punching bag, this fight will look bad for even being made afterwards like Conor vs Cerone.

I agree that, although that fight was a lot of fun to watch, Dustin didn't really come off as a world beater...he took so many shots, got lit up on the feet and taken down super easily by Hooker. The deficiencies in takedown defense shouldn't matter against Conrat, but the reality is that Conrat sleeps almost any MMA fighter that relies almost solely on brawling-style standup and who doesn't have as much reach as he does.

I'd actually give Hooker a better shot against Conrat, based on toughness, chin and boxing.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

Great fight but nothing in it showed me that Conor doesnt sleep Dusting inside 1 round again.

Srsly, Dusting is a walking punching bag, this fight will look bad for even being made afterwards like Conor vs Cerone.

Different style of fight than Conor's first fight with Dustin. Hooker likes to fight in the pocket and tries to walk you down so the Hooker fight was spent mostly fighting in the pocket because Dustin is strong in the pocket as well with his hook combinations on the inside.

Conor usually fights from long or mid range and was counter Dustin in the first fight. But Conor has abandoned a lot of his movement once he started bulking up and fighting at 155 and 170. He stopped training with his movement coach and after the Floyd fight adopted a more boxing orientated stance and striking approach. He's more stationary and planted now and tries to walk down slowly now instead of using in and out movement like he used to.

So this fight can end up being fought a lot in mid range or on the inside where Dustin can find some success if he doesn't get put out early from a counter. Dustin seems more durable after moving up in weight so he may not be as easy to put away as their first fight. Dustin has shown toughness in the later rounds that has won him fights in the past and Conor is known to fade in the later rounds.

Dustin is a live dog in this fight and can't really use their last fight to judge the outcome of this upcoming fight. Size is different and fighting styles are different between the 2 from when they originally fought. Dustin focused on his boxing heavily after the Conor loss.

 

[Chosen]

Yea Dustin was getting fucked up by hooker in the first 2 rounds he almost got KO at the end of round 2 from that knee by hooker. I see conor eating dustin’s best shot like last time and walking him down to a easy KO.
{<Mcgoat}

 

[Bubba32]

Why Do you think Conor picked him.

 

[Canned Tuna]

McNugget is a horrible matchup for Poirier. Dustin wins that fight like 1/10 times. I hope we get to see that one.

 

[robbie]

I agree with pretty much most of what you said other than activity levels. Khabib only averaged one fight per year as well.

Seems like once guys get the belt in the UFC, their activity levels drop off a cliff.

Since Conor McGregor beat Aldo in December 2015 in his last fight at 145, he has fought 5 times in the UFC. In that same time period Khabib had 7 UFC fights. Poirier had 11 fights in that same time frame. Gaethje had 10 fights in the same time period. Of his five fights, McGregor fought Nate Diaz twice which is not the top of the 155 food chain. He also fought a well past his prime Cerrone for a total of 3 gimme fights out of 5 and he got submitted by short-notice Diaz in one of his three gimme fights. I think I can fairly state that McGregor has been coasting while the other guys are fighting the best regularly and getting worn down. McGregor knows that Uncle Dana will let him jump the line without earning his place in a title fight.

 

[Tohm]

Great fight but nothing in it showed me that Conor doesnt sleep Dusting inside 1 round again.

Srsly, Dusting is a walking punching bag, this fight will look bad for even being made afterwards like Conor vs Cerone.

I think the same. Hooker gave him a lot of trouble in the first two rounds.

 

[Enigma87]

Dustin's been hurt in like nearly every LW fight he's had barring like Pettis, let alone when Johnson laid him out cold and Eddie finished him (regardless of the legality).

The idea his chin is any better at LW is a complete myth. He just got a bit more skilled and experienced so he survives more often, but he's still getting hurt and can be finished. Fucking Max hurt him lol.

Oh yeah Max Holloway hurt him with his boxing, he must be a can

Some of you are legit fucking retarded

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

The only thing that this fight will tell is if Conor deteriorated due to drugs and chug or not. There is no world in which Porier is a match for prime Conor.

 

[Vergilius]

Since Conor McGregor beat Aldo in December 2015 in his last fight at 145, he has fought 5 times in the UFC. In that same time period Khabib had 7 UFC fights. Poirier had 11 fights in that same time frame. Gaethje had 10 fights in the same time period. Of his five fights, McGregor fought Nate Diaz twice which is not the top of the 155 food chain. He also fought a well past his prime Cerrone for a total of 3 gimme fights out of 5 and he got submitted by short-notice Diaz in one of his three gimme fights. I think I can fairly state that McGregor has been coasting while the other guys are fighting the best regularly and getting worn down. McGregor knows that Uncle Dana will let him jump the line without earning his place in a title fight.

But if you wanna be fair, you'll remember to add that the other two were title holders (Khabib and Eddie) and that Conor only fought Nate (#170 by the way) as a late replacement for a third champion who got injured (RDA), leading to an upset and a tough rematch. So I'd say only one, real gimme fight (Cowboy) which is maybe ok after two years away. Now he's fighting a top 3 guy again, though. You can say a lot about Conor, but he does fight the best.

 

[glavinator]

Great fight but nothing in it showed me that Conor doesnt sleep Dusting inside 1 round again.

Srsly, Dusting is a walking punching bag, this fight will look bad for even being made afterwards like Conor vs Cerone.

I think its pretty well regarded that the outcome of this fight will be more determined by how much, if any, Conor has fallen off vs how much poirer has improved

 

[robbie]

But if you wanna be fair, you'll remember to add that the other two were title holders (Khabib and Eddie) and that Conor only fought Nate (#170 by the way) as a late replacement for a third champion who got injured (RDA), leading to an upset and a tough rematch. So I'd say only one, real gimme fight (Cowboy) which is maybe ok after two years away. Now he's fighting a top 3 guy again, though. You can say a lot about Conor, but he does fight the best.

https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Dustin-Poirier-50529
In that time frame, Dustin fought Khabib (champ) and Alvarez (former champ) twice. His other 8 opponents were Hooker, Holloway (former champ and not the 21 year old version), Gaethje, Pettis (former champ), Miller, Johnson (loss), Green and Duffy (who submitted McGregor). Poirier went 7 - 1 in those 8 bouts. That is way more wear and tear than two bouts with Nate Diaz and one round with a long spent Cerrone. Interestingly enough both Poirier (Johnson) and McGregor (Diaz) were stopped by lower ranked fighters in bouts they were favored to win comfortably, which also proves my point about each fight having the risk of loss, injury and damage. McGregor's ability to navigate a lesser/lighter schedule and still jump the line for title fights is a huge advantage.

 

[MaulingMyClown]

past his prime at 31...haha nah...not even close...he looked better than ever against cerrone.

Cerrone is a can lmao...ultimate gate keeper taylor made for Conor as a come cack fight. Doesn't have the chin he once did and a notoriously slow starter.

 

[kungfu_taichi]

I think its pretty well regarded that the outcome of this fight will be more determined by how much, if any, Conor has fallen off vs how much poirer has improved

I think it's exactly the opposite. I'm sure McGregor HASN'T fallen off. Pourier needs to fight the smartest fight he's ever fought. He might be able to Carlos Condit/Wonderboy Thompson his way to victory, but if he trades ....

Separation of Consciousness.

 

[Dana's Moonface]

past his prime at 31...haha nah...not even close...he looked better than ever against cerrone.

32

 

[christopher]

Is anyone else really bummed out at the card of Poirer vs McGregor? I mean every fight under the main event is straight trash.

 

[Canarinha]

Hmm what's ijter2is dustin absorbed ALL those strikes, was fine and never got dropped. So.... Unless conor hits twice as hard as hooker, i think it'll be competitive at the very least.

Its not about hitting hard, its the accuracy on just the right spot that will drop Dustin.

Conor will do just that. Dustin will face the best counter sniper in the division and get demoralized quick just watch.