Dustin Poirier has defeated Conor McGregor by TKO in the opening round of the much anticipated UFC 264 after McGregor suffered a fractured ankle.
It was a huge anti-climax for the bout but McGregor had no chance of continuing after his foot gave way.
“This is not over,” McGregor said in the post-fight interview.
FULL ANALYSIS IN THE BLOG BELOW
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier meet in their trilogy fight at UFC 264 in Las Vegas on Sunday, with the card kicking off at 12pm (AEST). Join The Roar for live updates and debate in our blog.
There are 13 fights in UFC 264 including five on the main card. Australian Tai Tuivasa fights Greg Hardy in a heavyweight battle two bouts before the McGregor-Poirier showdown.
Although there is no title on the line, the winner is likely to earn a title shot against lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
Poirier passed up the chance to fight for the title vacated by the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov in favour of a third fight against McGregor.
Ireland’s McGregor KO’d Poirier in less than two minutes in 2014 as he rapidly became the biggest star of his sport but and Poirier, of the United States, avenged that loss in January this year with a second-round KO.
This will be the most lucrative fight of his career and Poirier is banking on himself to land both the massive payday and the chance to go for the title, although a loss would hit the second part of the plan.
McGregor is trying to beat an elite opponent since he beat Eddie Alvarez in 2016, before he took on boxer Floyd Mayweather in their ‘Money Match’ in 2017.
In typical fashion, McGregor turned Friday’s weigh-in for this fight into a circus, labelling his opponent a “little bitch” and a “silly little hillbilly.”
McGregor also unleashed a tirade at a reporter who started a question with “You have won exactly one fight since Barack Obama was President….”
McGregor fired back: “Shut your mouth. I’ll go down there and smash your nose in. I’ll go down and smash your nose in, you little rat, you little rat. Someone smack him.”
“For me, the aura’s not there anymore,” Poirier said of McGregor. “Very dangerous fighter, no doubt. But I see a man … that I’ve defeated and I know I can defeat again.”
Time: Main undercard from 12pm AEST
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise Navada
Coverage: Live, Pay-Per-View Main Event and pay-per-view streaming on Kayo
Betting: McGregor $2.12, Poirier $1.72 (odds via PlayUp)
Scheduled Bouts
Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson
Greg Hardy vs. Tai Tuivasa
Irene Aldana vs. Yana Kunitskaya
Sean O’Malley vs. Kris Moutinho
Prelims
Carlos Condit vs. Max Griffin
Michel Pereira vs. Niko Price
Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Trevin Giles
Jessica Eye vs. Jennifer Maia
Omari Akhmedov vs. Brad Tavares
Jerome Rivera vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
Alen Amedovski vs. Hu Yaozong
Davico
Roar Pro
Let me know when another top UFC fighter drags someone's wife and family into "promoting" a fight! Talk about a vile, disgusting human. Did he ever clear up those police investigations in Ireland or just pay off the cops?
Davico
Roar Pro
Your right there have been! And I will call them out too!! :thumbup:
Paulo
Roar Rookie
They showed a check from earlier in the fight where he connected with his foot, not his shin, straight after Dustin is pointing at it, that’s the check he was referring to in his post match chat with Joe. Probably did some damage and then the torsion he put on it later finished the job. Connor may have felt it wasn’t great so went for the Guillotine finish, which is very unlike him and really played into Dustins BJJ strength.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Oh…nah mate, you’re forgetting about all the other UFC guys who’ve carried on like drongos. Why just single out Conor McGregor for? What’s your agenda? :silly: :silly: :silly:
Tman
Guest
Some say boxing is a farce these days, but UFC keeps showing what a farce is. McGregor clearly just can’t fight without his Zimmer frame. Haha
Matt Cleary
Expert
He was just going backwards after throwing a punch.
Matt Cleary
Expert
THAT'S A WRAP Righto! That's us, sports fans, UFC264 Poirier McGregor 3. It was five minutes of fury before a bit of a let-down when Conor McGregor's ankle broke with five seconds on the clock and Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier won on TKO. Reckon these two will rumble again. McGregor can't leave that out there. The man can't accept any defeat. This one will rankle. And there'll be a lot of talk between now and then. Hope you enjoyed the live coverage. I'm Matt Cleary. Seeyoulater.
Matt Cleary
Expert
SUMMARY / ANALYSIS. And out goes McGregor, carried off on a gurney, having fun with the crowd, pretending to stroke a massive imaginary penis. He's a lunatic, a funny one, people love him. And he'll be back to take on the Diamond, Dustin Poirier, once his broken ankle gets better, one would warrant. Certainly they were threatening same as they left the Octagon. The fight? Poirier was on top given his BJJ skills. He pinned McGregor to the mat and the fence and rained so many punches, elbows and forearms on his opponent. McGregor had a chance to rip off a guillotine and tried but it didn't come off. Poirier slid out of it and was on top for the remainder of the round. And then, with five seconds left on the clock, McGregor's ankle buckled, his entire foot went under his body and his weight went onto the back leg and boom, crack, opera - McGregor yowled in immediate pain, Poirier pounced, the Siren wailed with McGregor and we realised: it's over. McGregor isn't getting up.
GoldenEye
Roar Rookie
Matt, Been travelling, just joined to check results. Was trying to find your description of the Pereira back-flip into mount. Surely McGregor is done now.... It will be just exhibition fights if he continues.
Davico
Roar Pro
Notice my posts are not getting posted because I called Conor out as the classles s dirtba g he is
Matt Cleary
Expert
MCGREGOR INTERVIEW. McGregor, interviewed on his bottom. “This is not over. We don’t give a bollocks.” He doesn’t agree that his leg broke on Poirier’s thigh. He’s upset he lost. He sounds like Brad Pitt in that film he’s Irish. He’s calling out old mate. He’s half-mad. They don’t like each other. They’ll fight again, their bank balances demand it.
GoldenEye
Roar Rookie
How'd his ankle break? Checking or kicking?
Matt Cleary
Expert
POIRIER defeats MCGREGOR Well - there you go. Referee holds Poirier by the wrist and raises his arm. McGregor mouthing off from the ground with a broken ankle. Poirier reckon he'd fractured it early. But he hasn't seen the replay. McGregor still yappy from the ground. Poirier hopes McGregor will get home safe to his family to counter McGregor's threats that he would murder Poirier. Ha. He then tells the crowd who are booing him to "kiss my whole asshole". Then he says he's going to Uganda to raise money for the pygmy people. Top stuff. And now to Conor, who may have a different take on the punch-up.
Davico
Roar Pro
Absolute Muppet
Matt Cleary
Expert
IT'S OVER. ROUND 1: POIRIER defeats MCGREGOR. Yep. It's over. McGregor, under huge pressure from Poireir ... OH~! MCGREGOR ... his ankle buckled under his body, terrible immediate pain. And that's it. Poirier just on top... but the fight is over because as McGregor threw a punch his entire foot went under his body, his weight went on top and ... yowza. Busted. And they'll have to wrap him up and carry him out, because he won't be walking for a good few weeks.
Matt Cleary
Expert
ROUND 1: POIRIER vs MCGREGOR 3. McGregor straight into back kicks. Two of them. Then a low kick. O-lay o-lay gets a workout, Dublin does Vegas. Boom - Poirier a shot to McGregor's head. McGregor responds with fierce kicks to the thigh. "USA" gets a workout. Crowd right into this. BIG NOISE. The fighters exchange blows. And Poirier gets his man on the fence. BUT MCGREGOR HAS HIM ROUND THE NECK -GUILLIOTINE? Nearly. I nearly spelled the right too. But the Diamond gets himself out of it. Rains elbows on prone McGregor, who responds with same. Solid elbows to bonce. Poirier on top, raining forearms on his man. War of attrition. Boom. Diamond stands up. Then goes in again. he's hurling punches on McGregor, who responds with kicks from the ground. Thirty seconds. Twenty seconds. Elbows and fists rain on McGregor. Who gets to this feet .. AND GOES DOWN! BOOM. SIREN - SAVED BY IT. He remains down... could be broken leg?? He's not getting up. HE'S BROKEN HIS ANKLE! IT'S OVER!
Hamish Reeves
Guest
That leg snapped wow
Davico
Roar Pro
Conor has always been a Myth. All mouth and 1 lucky punch!
Matt Cleary
Expert
And so the green jacket man does his intros, part talking, part yowling scalded cat. McGregor getting into it. The Pride of Ireland. The Notorious Conor McGreeeeeeeggggooooorrrr.... you'd take it as an intro. Poirier of Louisiana now, fighting out of Coconut Creek, presenting the No.1 ranke lightweight contender Dusting "The Diamond" Poooooiiirrreierrrrr... ha. They are introducted to each other. And we are on.
Matt Cleary
Expert
Poirier, a silent prayer. The fighters stalk each other, almost get into it, many men in black separate them. Ha. McGregor is a showman, Poiriet has the most knockouts in lightweight history (7). And here's the odd little leprechaun in the green jacket for the intros.