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Conor McGregor bemoaned the structure of bouts on The Ultimate Fighter as his team suffered yet another loss this week. Michael Chandler’s team have surged into a 4-0 lead over Team McGregor on the new season of the UFC television show, with two of McGregor’s fighters having been stopped and two having lost on points. In Episode 4 this week, Trevor Wells was beaten by UFC veteran Timur Valiev, losing a unanimous decision over two rounds – a result that led McGregor to vent his frustrations over the lack of a third round. “It was a good fight, Trevor put on a great match against him,” McGregor said. “They should do three rounds if it’s close. Or if they’re just 10-9s that have been eked out, there should be a third round. It’s very tough if it doesn’t go your way.” The former UFC champion also told Wells after the fight: “Trevor, that was a phenomenal fight, [it] deserved a third round. Very good, you’ve done yourself proud. Great work.” Meanwhile, Chandler said: “I get what Conor’s saying. If I were in his shoes, I would probably think the fight was closer than it actually was. “But to me and obviously to the judges, we know we won those two rounds. We’re gonna keep stacking up these wins.” When Wells returned to his team’s locker room after his fight, he was greeted by the other members of Team McGregor who have lost so far this season. “You fit in with the crew now,” Aaron McKenzie told Wells, having suffered a points defeat by Austin Hubbard a week prior. McGregor last week denied allegations that he had sexually assaulted a woman at a Miami Heat game this month. The Irishman, 34, was accused of assault in a bathroom at Game 4 of the NBA Finals on 9 June. A statement from McGregor’s lawyer Barbara Llanes read: “The allegations are false. Mr McGregor will not be intimidated.” The NBA and Miami Heat said they were investigating the allegations. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor denies allegation he sexually assaulted a woman at NBA Finals How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK How Ciryl Gane’s Jon Jones dream turned into a nightmare Topuria vs Emmett live stream: How to watch UFC Fight Night online and on TV this weekend

“One month before the fight, we were so happy; it was a dream,” Ciryl Gane reminisces. Then comes a laugh. “One minute after the fight, it was a nightmare.” It is easy to forget, but the hype around Gane’s title fight with Jon Jones in March was not based on the latter’s long-awaited return alone. There was genuine anticipation for what could have been an intriguing contest between a light-heavyweight great, in Jones, and a heavyweight contender who moves like a welterweight, in Gane. Once the fight started, however, that intrigue was extinguished within moments. Gane, failing to do himself justice – as he would tell you – was taken down early and submitted as the clock ticked past the two-minute mark. “My coach told me every day, every time, every training [session]: ‘Don’t throw the backhand,’” Gane tells The Independent. “‘If you want, [throw] the jab – maybe the uppercut – but not the backhand.’ I threw the backhand, he caught me.” Indeed, Jones dipped his head off the centre line as Gane overcommitted to a left cross, then engulfed the 33-year-old, hauling him to the canvas – weighing down on Gane with every ounce of his new, 248lbs heavyweight frame. Once Gane had been forced to the fence, there was no escape. Jones locked in a guillotine choke, and before the fans in Las Vegas had time to comprehend what had happened, the American had forced his opponent to tap. The vacant heavyweight title was vacant no longer. To many onlookers, Jones’s status as the greatest ever was confirmed within those 124 seconds. And what of Gane, the former interim champion who was sitting with his back against the cage, staring up at his victorious opponent, and coming to terms with a second loss in an undisputed-title fight? The Frenchman was, suddenly, no longer an example of the ‘modern’ heavyweight, and instead a kickboxer with a gaping hole in his game – a gap that Jones had exploited mercilessly. “I was confident in this position [on the mat],” Gane insists, “but I did [something] wrong. When we went back to the gym after the fight, we did only wrestling and grappling, every day. I was already confident, but I know it’s really normal to be more confident and have better reflexes when you do something every day. This is gonna help me for sure.” Technical faults can be addressed, of course, but fighters sometimes suffer from intangible issues in bouts of this magnitude – in moments of this magnitude – that can define results and careers, and that are less easily expelled. “It was really difficult to explain,” Gane says. “People asked me if I felt a lot of pressure during the fight, during the press conference, the waiting... Did you see me afraid? No, I was really happy to be there! I wanted to fight against the GOAT and prove that I’m a good fighter. In the cage, in front of the opponent, everybody saw me really confident. But when we started, and during the fight, something switched – I don’t know exactly why. I couldn’t manage the distance, I was not there. I think when you have a bad feeling, it’s harder to be good technically. “I was not ‘here’,” Gane stresses again. “It was not me, it just was not me – everybody knows that. That’s why today, when everybody asks me if I want revenge: Yes, I want revenge, just because I want to prove that I’m better than that and can put Jon Jones through more adversity.” It is unclear whether Jones will still be around by the time Gane earns a prospective third shot at the UFC heavyweight title. The American, 35, was absent from the Octagon for three years before returning to fight Gane, and his plan to face heavyweight ‘GOAT’ Stipe Miocic before the end of the year looks fragile. Jones has also continually exchanged verbal barbs with Francis Ngannou – his predecessor as UFC heavyweight champion, and a former teammate and opponent of Gane. But while Jones’s next step is ambiguous, Gane’s is clear. The Frenchman, a year on from headlining the UFC’s first-ever French card, will once again fight in a main event in Paris this September. Sergey Spivak, the Moldovan heavyweight with three stoppage wins in his last three fights, will be the tormented tourist at the Accor Arena. “This is my mindset: Every time people ask who I want to fight next, it doesn’t matter who,” Gane says. “I just want to fight, do my job, my mission. I’m a competitor, so any opponent you put in front of me is going to be my mission. Spivak is well rounded – good ground game, good wrestler – so yes, it’s gonna be a test. I’m really happy about that. We’re gonna work on [what we need to work on], and I’m gonna do my best.” In undisputed-title fights, Gane has struggled to do his best; in every other bout, his best has been more than enough. That bodes well for “Bon Gamin” – the “Good Kid” – as he wakes from his Jon Jones nightmare and begins to dream of UFC gold again. Ciryl Gane headlines the UFC’s second ever Paris event, against Sergey Spivak, on 2 September. Tickets will go on general sale at 9am BST on Friday 23 June, via Accor Arena. Read More Tyson Fury claims UFC has offered him ‘hybrid fight’ with Jon Jones Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones Jared Cannonier breaks UFC record in win over Marvin Vettori Topuria vs Emmett live stream: How to watch UFC Fight Night online and on TV this weekend Jared Cannonier breaks UFC record in win over Marvin Vettori Topuria vs Emmett and full UFC Fight Night card this weekend What time does Topuria vs Emmett start in UK and US this weekend?

Julianna Pena has labelled Amanda Nunes a ‘coward’ for retiring at UFC 289. Nunes, 35, retained the bantamweight title with a points win over Irene Aldana on Saturday, before calling time on a career seen by many as the greatest in women’s mixed martial arts history. One of the few blemishes on the Brazilian’s career came in 2021, when Nunes – who also holds the UFC women’s featherweight title – was submitted by Pena with the bantamweight belt on the line. Nunes avenged the upset loss by dominating the American in 2022, and the pair were due for a trilogy bout at UFC 289 until Pena withdrew due to injury. Pena, 33, was in attendance in Vancouver to see Nunes retire, and the former champion said on The MMA Hour on Monday: “There was a part of me that really wanted to storm the cage. I had so many people like, ‘Yes, we’ll do it, we’ll throw you over the gate!’ Then my coach was like, ‘Don’t do it. Be classy and don’t do it.’ So, I let her have my moment, but it was really difficult for me, because there were so many times where my urge was to go, ‘Now is the time, go, go go.’ “But at the end of the day, she’s retired, she’s off in the sunset, she’s dead to me at this point, and we’ve just got to keep the division moving. Now we’re stepping into day one of the ‘Pena Power’ era. I’m the champ, I’ve always been the champ in my heart and in my head [...] It’s just a matter of time before the belt’s around my waist again. “I’ve been telling you from the beginning: She’s been wanting to retire, she was one foot out the door the entire time. “She even said it herself: She was going to retire after she tapped to me, but she didn’t, because she decided I’m too good looking and she doesn’t want me to have the belt. Seriously, she’s got a problem with me.” Pena has not fought since losing the bantamweight title to Nunes last July. The rivals were set to headline UFC 289 until a rib injury forced Pena out of the bout, leading Aldana to step in. “At the end of the day, Amanda didn’t want the fight,” Pena said. “The whole time, the UFC asked her to make the trilogy, she didn’t want to make it, and they made that clear to me. They said, ‘She doesn’t want to fight you.’ That’s why it took so long to book the trilogy, and when I fell out because of injury, she said it was ‘less heavy’ for her. “Hopefully she comes back. That would be best-case scenario, so we can squash this thing and finish this trilogy. It was literally going to be the greatest trilogy in women’s MMA. It’s never happened before, and she lost that opportunity to make it happen. I lost that opportunity because I got injured, she lost that opportunity because she wants to retire early. I say she took the coward’s way out, and that’s all there is to it.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More MMA great Amanda Nunes retires after win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289 Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man

VIDEO: Rail collapses during UFC 289 walkout.

Harry Maguire may not leave Manchester United this summer

Conor McGregor’s team suffered another tough week on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, as one of the Irishman’s mentees was declared unfit to compete and another was stopped in Round 1. McGregor and Michael Chandler, who are due to fight each other later this year, are coaching opposing teams of athletes on the new season of the UFC television show. In Episode 1, McGregor’s team member Nate Jennerman was knocked out inside eight seconds, and there was more misfortune for the Irishman’s group in Episode 2. In the episode, which aired on Tuesday (6 June), Trevor Wells developed a cold sore and was deemed medically unfit to face Timur Valiev, before Mando Gutierrez was beaten by Cody Gibson in Round 1. Gutierrez was dropped with a clean knee to the chin, before Gibson applied ground and pound to secure a TKO win. McGregor, wearing a cowboy hat given to him by Gutierrez, was visibly frustrated at ringside. “Ah, unlucky, Mando,” the former dual-weight UFC champion said. In a post-fight exchange in the team’s locker room, McGregor, 34, told Gutierrez: “Right here with you, Mando. Here with you, my man. Back to the gym now.” Gutierrez replied, “I just wanted to give my heart,” to which McGregor said: “That’s what you did, man! That’s what you f***ing did, my man!” Gutierrez responded, “Coach, I’m way better than that,” to which McGregor replied, “I know that.” “It was a tough fight, that was,” McGregor later said in an interview. “The flying knee was a good shot. Mando’s a great little fighter. I would’ve liked him to stand his ground more; he was on the float a little bit too much for my liking. We were working on cutting the Octagon in [training].” A tearful Gutierrez, sporting a severely swollen eye, added: “You know, I fought my heart out, and it wasn’t enough. I love this game, sometimes it just don’t love me back. I’ll be back, it is what it is.” All you need to know about season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter can be found at the highlighted link here, and you can read our review of the new documentary McGregor Forever here. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor mentee loses in eight seconds on The Ultimate Fighter How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary

This weekend, Amanda Nunes makes the first defence of her second reign as UFC women’s bantamweight champion, taking on Irene Aldana at UFC 289. Nunes, who also holds featherweight gold and is widely deemed the greatest women’s fighter in MMA history, lost the bantamweight belt to Julianna Pena in a shock defeat in 2021, before regaining the title in a rematch last year. Now the Brazilian, 35, puts the gold on the line against Aldana, who is bidding to become the fourth Mexican champion in UFC history – with the other three still reigning at the time of writing. Aldana, 35, steps in for the injured Pena, who was due for a trilogy bout against Nunes. The Mexican is chasing a third straight win, having stopped Macy Chiasson and Yana Santos in her last two fights. In the co-main event, former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira faces Beneil Dariush, who is seeking his first shot at the division’s title. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 289 will take place on Saturday 10 June, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. The early prelims are set to begin at 11pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET), with the prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 11 June (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET). How can I watch it? In the US, the event will air live on ESPN+. In the UK, BT Sport will broadcast the fights. BT Sport subscribers can watch the event live on TV, as well as on the broadcaster’s website and app. Odds Nunes – 2/7 Aldana – 13/5 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Main card Amanda Nunes (C) vs Irene Aldana (women’s bantamweight title) Charles Oliveira vs Beneil Dariush (lightweight) Nassourdine Imavov vs Chris Curtis (middleweight) Dan Ige vs Nate Landwehr (featherweight) Khalil Rountree Jr vs Chris Daukaus (light-heavyweight) Prelims Mike Malott vs Adam Fugitt (welterweight) Marc-Andre Barriault vs Eryk Anders (middleweight) Matt Schnell vs David Dvorak (flyweight) Hakeem Dawodu vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Early prelims Aiemann Zahabi vs Aoriqileng (bantamweight) Kyle Nelson vs Blake Bilder (featherweight) Diane Belbita vs Maria Oliveira (women’s strawweight) Miranda Maverick vs Jasmine Jasudavicius (women’s flyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK How to watch The Ultimate Fighter in the UK Full UFC 289 card featuring Amanda Nunes vs Irene Aldana What time does UFC 289 start in UK and US this weekend?

Amanda Nunes will defend her bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 289 this weekend, fighting an in-form and inspired Irene Aldana. Brazilian Nunes, who also holds featherweight gold, regained the bantamweight title from Julianna Pena last year, outpointing the American to avenge a shock submission loss from 2021. Meanwhile, Aldana is pursuing a third straight victory and aiming to join Brandon Moreno, Alexa Grasso and Yair Rodriguez as the fourth incumbent UFC champion from Mexico. Prior to those ongoing reigns, no Mexican fighter had won a UFC title, but Aldana may feel that destiny is on her side this weekend. The 35-year-old does, however, face a tough test against Nunes, also 35, who is widely deemed the greatest women’s fighter in MMA history. In the co-main event, former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira faces Beneil Dariush, who is seeking his first shot at the division’s title. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 289 will take place on Saturday 10 June, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. The early prelims are set to begin at 11pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET), with the prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 11 June (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET). How can I watch it? In the US, the event will air live on ESPN+. In the UK, BT Sport will broadcast the fights. BT Sport subscribers can watch the event live on TV, as well as on the broadcaster’s website and app. Odds Nunes – 2/7 Aldana – 13/5 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Main card Amanda Nunes (C) vs Irene Aldana (women’s bantamweight title) Charles Oliveira vs Beneil Dariush (lightweight) Nassourdine Imavov vs Chris Curtis (middleweight) Dan Ige vs Nate Landwehr (featherweight) Khalil Rountree Jr vs Chris Daukaus (light-heavyweight) Prelims Mike Malott vs Adam Fugitt (welterweight) Marc-Andre Barriault vs Eryk Anders (middleweight) Matt Schnell vs David Dvorak (flyweight) Hakeem Dawodu vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Early prelims Aiemann Zahabi vs Aoriqileng (bantamweight) Kyle Nelson vs Blake Bilder (featherweight) Diane Belbita vs Maria Oliveira (women’s strawweight) Miranda Maverick vs Jasmine Jasudavicius (women’s flyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK How to watch The Ultimate Fighter in the UK What time does UFC 289 start in UK and US this weekend? How to watch UFC 289 online and on TV this weekend

Amanda Nunes and Irene Aldana will go head to head in the main event of UFC 289 this weekend, with the women’s bantamweight title on the line. Brazilian Nunes, who also holds the featherweight belt, began her second reign with the bantamweight strap last year, outpointing Julianna Pena to regain the title that she lost in the pair’s first clash. The result of their initial fight is deemed one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, and the women were set for a trilogy bout here, until Pena suffered an injury. As such, Aldana steps in, seeking a third straight win and aiming to become the fourth Mexican champion in UFC history, alongside the still-reigning trio of Brandon Moreno, Alexa Grasso and Yair Rodriguez. The 35-year-old faces a tough task, though, with Nunes – also 35 – widely considered to be the greatest women’s fighter in MMA history. In the co-main event, former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira faces Beneil Dariush, who is seeking his first shot at the division’s title. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 289 will take place on Saturday 10 June, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. The early prelims are set to begin at 11pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET), with the prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 11 June (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET). How can I watch it? In the US, the event will air live on ESPN+. In the UK, BT Sport will broadcast the fights. BT Sport subscribers can watch the event live on TV, as well as on the broadcaster’s website and app. Odds Nunes – 2/7 Aldana – 13/5 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Main card Amanda Nunes (C) vs Irene Aldana (women’s bantamweight title) Charles Oliveira vs Beneil Dariush (lightweight) Nassourdine Imavov vs Chris Curtis (middleweight) Dan Ige vs Nate Landwehr (featherweight) Khalil Rountree Jr vs Chris Daukaus (light-heavyweight) Prelims Mike Malott vs Adam Fugitt (welterweight) Marc-Andre Barriault vs Eryk Anders (middleweight) Matt Schnell vs David Dvorak (flyweight) Hakeem Dawodu vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Early prelims Aiemann Zahabi vs Aoriqileng (bantamweight) Kyle Nelson vs Blake Bilder (featherweight) Diane Belbita vs Maria Oliveira (women’s strawweight) Miranda Maverick vs Jasmine Jasudavicius (women’s flyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK How to watch The Ultimate Fighter in the UK Full UFC 289 card featuring Amanda Nunes vs Irene Aldana How to watch UFC 289 online and on TV this weekend

Manchester United is officially headed back to the Champions League

Dustin Poirier has backed Conor McGregor to stop Michael Chandler inside two rounds, provided that the Irishman is ‘100 percent dedicated and focused’. McGregor and Chandler, both of whom have fought Poirier before, are set to square off later this year, though no date, location or weight class has been confirmed for the UFC bout. Poirier suffered a TKO loss to McGregor in 2014, but the American exacted his revenge in January 2021 with a knockout win, before their trilogy fight six months later ended with McGregor suffering a broken leg. That contest went down as a TKO victory for Poirier, who submitted Chandler in each man’s most recent fight, in November 2022. Poirier discussed McGregor vs Chandler on The MMA Hour this week, saying: “I think that if Conor comes back anything like he was, with his timing and rhythm, with the injury that he had and this long of a lay-off – and we’re not getting any younger either... if he comes back similar to who he was before he left, I think he stops Michael Chandler. “If Conor is who he was before the injury and stuff, I think two rounds; I think the fight’s over in two rounds. “If anybody can [dial back the clock], I think it would be [McGregor]. If he’s 100 percent dedicated and focused, and [he can] put the blinders on and really go at this with all of himself, I think he can. But we’ll see, man. That’s what makes it so interesting.” McGregor’s 2014 victory over Poirier was a key moment on the Irishman’s journey to winning the UFC featherweight title, which he secured in 2015. A year later, McGregor claimed the lightweight belt to become the first dual-weight champion in UFC history. Meanwhile, Poirier is a former interim lightweight champion who has twice failed to win the undisputed belt. Compatriot Chandler is a former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, who has also unsuccessfully challenged for the UFC lightweight title. McGregor’s back-to-back bouts with Poirier in 2021 feature heavily in McGregor Forever, the second documentary covering the 34-year-old’s career. The four-part series was released on Netflix this month, and you can read The Independent’s review here. Poirier is due to return to the ring in July, taking on Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 291. The vacant ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ title will be on the line in the all-American clash, which is a rematch of a 2018 bout won by Poirier. Poirier stopped Gaethje, a fellow former interim lightweight champion, in the fourth round. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary Eddie Hearn and Conor McGregor had ‘friendly row’ after KO of Irish boxer Gary Cully Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones The night Conor McGregor became ‘Mystic Mac’ Eddie Hearn and Conor McGregor had 'friendly row' after KO of Irish boxer Conor McGregor reveals how he scored Katie Taylor fight from ringside

On 27 September 2014, Conor McGregor dismantled Dustin Poirier. In the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, McGregor – then the ninth-ranked featherweight in the UFC – required just over 90 seconds to drop Poirier, the No 5 featherweight in the world, and pummel his head against the canvas, forcing a stoppage. For many followers of the sport, that bout at UFC 178 represented the Irishman’s first genuine match-up against a top-level opponent, the moment McGregor’s bravado could fall in on itself. Instead, ‘Notorious’ took a giant stride closer to Jose Aldo, the UFC featherweight title and MMA history, and he did so with an ease that startled swathes of fans of the sport. In January 2021, Poirier exacted his revenge. In a lightweight rematch in Abu Dhabi, the “Diamond” knocked out McGregor in the second round after dismantling his opponent’s base by brutalising his calves with low kicks. In the main event of UFC 264, six months later, the rivalry concluded as the pair squared off one more time at lightweight, with McGregor suffering a broken leg at the end of a chaotic first round – losing the bout via TKO in the process. Ahead of that fight, The Independent spoke to four key figures about the Irish icon’s knockout victory over Poirier in 2014, as well as what preceded and followed the night that ‘Mystic Mac’ was born. The build-up In July 2014, McGregor knocks out Diego Brandao in the first round of the pair’s main-event clash in Dublin. Before the night is up, the seeds are already planted for McGregor’s next fight. Ariel Helwani (Canadian MMA journalist): “I remember at the press conference in Dublin, everybody was like ‘Poirier, Poirier, Poirier – it has to be Poirier next,’ because Poirier had been talking a little bit about Conor and they were kind of on a collision course. It seemed like: ‘Okay, the wheels are kind of in motion here.’” The bout is set for September 2014, marking a quick turnaround for McGregor, who is intent on continuing his climb up the rankings at 145lbs. His eyes are already set on Aldo, the UFC’s first – and only ever, at this point – featherweight champion, who has not lost since 2005. Megan Olivi (broadcaster – UFC): “I think that fight with Dustin was one of the first times when people were counting Conor out, like: ‘Oh, well now he’s facing Dustin Poirier and this probably won’t go well.’” AH: “I thought the narrative that Conor was fighting lesser competition and wasn't really that good was hogwash. If you watched him in Cage Warriors or his early UFC fights, it was very clear this was a supremely talented fighter. But still, there were questions to be answered against Poirier, a big step up in competition on a very big stage.” Poirier, typically a calm character, is visibly irked when in the presence of McGregor, who antagonises his opponent at every opportunity. Bruce Buffer (ring announcer – UFC): “Some time before that fight, on the way back from another fight of Dustin’s, I was at the airport and sat down at Dustin’s table and broke bread with his family. I realised what a lovely family they are and what a fine human being Dustin is, and how he stands up for everything he believes in. He’s just a really good guy.” MO: “I’d known Dustin for a very long time and remember seeing a marked difference in his demeanour. I remember being sad that Dustin’s wife [Jolie] was going to be so stressed out by the situation, even though Conor didn’t involve her in any way. Dustin was a bit more emotional than we’d seen him before. “[At the pre-fight press conference] there was a lot of animosity on stage, but Conor seemed to thrive in that, whereas with Dustin you could tell... it was taking everything in him to restrain himself. Being up there, I was worried: ‘Are they gonna get out of their chairs and get physical?’ I was a bit nervous, because the hostility was so real, and thought: ‘Let’s just get out of here with no chairs or hands thrown.’” AH: “Poirier wanted to be the guy to shut Conor up. He was very angry, like he had this chip on his shoulder. Conor, meanwhile... They did the media day in August with the infamous Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones scuffle at the MGM Grand, and in the midst of all that, Conor was taking selfies with fans. This guy was living in his own world, he didn’t care about a brawl between two of the best fighters in the world. All of these journalists were sitting around interviewing him and I thought: ‘He’s not going to be doing this for much longer – he’ll have his own press conferences.’ “I remember vividly the aura he had around him, like when he did the ‘bunny ears’ while I interviewed him. You definitely felt one fighter was happy and comfortable, and the other was very intense and mean-mugging. They had that run-in filmed on UFC: Embedded, and Conor was [later filmed] watching it and laughing at it.” In the original clip, Poirier can be heard saying of McGregor: “I don’t think I’ve ever disliked somebody that much that I’ve fought.” Peter Carroll (Irish MMA journalist): “At the weigh-ins, Poirier starts screaming at the crowd. He couldn’t believe people were cheering on McGregor. I remember thinking: ‘This has really gotten to him.’ And I’d seen Conor doing that for years. After the face-off he had with [Dave] Hill in Cage Warriors, there was talk of Hill being consoled afterwards, like he was completely rattled. I don’t think Poirier was ready for the mental warfare, how Conor actually meant everything he said. Some people were still saying, ‘It’s all a gimmick,’ but I think Poirier was in two minds.” The fight MO: “That was not the main event, but it felt like it was. It was a really good card – Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone was fighting Eddie Alvarez, Demetrious Johnson headlined against Chris Cariaso – but I remember everyone going: ‘Poirier vs McGregor, what is gonna happen with this fight?’” McGregor gets in Poirier’s face as the American skips around the cage before the introductions are made. He taunts Poirier as the pair face off, extending his hand into his opponent’s face. As referee Herb Dean asks the fighters if they wish to touch gloves, Poirier slaps McGregor’s hand away. BB: “Conor’s confidence is as high as anybody could ever dream of walking around with. He’s intimidating, he tries to get into Poirier mentally, but then when the bell rings, the Octagon door closes and I’m done and walk out, shark eyes come over each.” McGregor at once displays his confidence, opening with a hook kick and a spinning back kick. For the best part of 90 seconds, the Irishman pressures his fellow southpaw, finding a home for his left straight with greater success as the first round ticks on – talking to Poirier all the while. Then, suddenly, McGregor glances a left hand off the back of Poirier’s head, dropping the American. Two hammer fists and two punches follow on the downed ‘Diamond’, and Dean waves the fight off. AH: “The way in which he won... it wasn’t just a victory, it wasn’t just a decision win, he smoked Poirier in less than two minutes. He called Dustin ‘pea-head’, said he would bounce Dustin’s head off the canvas, then literally did that.” PC: “The punch he hit Poirier with... I saw this tweet from a mainstream Irish journalist, saying it was a bull**** shot and made him think it was a choreographed fight. I remember thinking: ‘What does this kid [McGregor] have to do to get respect in Ireland?’” MO: “When you’ve known somebody for such a long time, you’re even more heartbroken for them when they lose, which is certainly how I felt for Dustin. I knew how intense the lead-up was, so to have such a ‘final’ end to that fight... your heart just breaks. It wasn’t even like it was the end of the third round, it was so quick in there.” BB: “Did I feel something in that moment, knowing what that fight meant to Dustin? Absolutely I did, when I realise that everything the man has fought for, trained for, everything he’s done for the last number of years in his life has come down to this one defining moment.” MO: “I think it was kind of like a light switch turning on for a lot of people, like: ‘Okay, Conor’s legit, because that’s Dustin Poirier.’” The aftermath As Buffer announces the result – McGregor winning by TKO“at 1:46 of the very first round” – Poirier congratulates his rival, the Irishman in kind calling his vanquished foe“a great guy”. McGregor receives his jiu-jitsu brown belt from his coaching team and sports it during his in-ring interview. “I don’t just knock them out, I pick the round,” McGregor tells commentator Joe Rogan. “You can call me ‘Mystic Mac’, because I predict these things.” Rogan informs McGregor that 10 per cent of ticket sales for the event at the 15,000-seater came from the Irish. “I wanted to come over here and show the American public the new era of the fighting Irish... If one of us goes to war, we all go to war.” PC: “After McGregor beats Poirier, the place just clears out. Four fights into his UFC career, Conor’s already a bigger commodity than Johnson, the reigning flyweight champion of the world.” AH: “The post-fight interview in the cage was legendary. Then there was the ivory suit he wore after, the sunglasses, the man-bun and shaved sides... There’s that scene of him in the hallway, doing the billionaire strut. It just felt like: ‘Okay, Conor McGregor's a superstar.’” PC: “The Notorious RTE documentary series was out and it made his dad Tony, mum Mags and sister Erin almost celebrities. They were mobbed [in Vegas]. I remember stopping to talk to Tony and people were pouring past, shouting his name. He was being bombarded.” MO: “About a month ago, Conor sent me a picture of our interview from after the fight. For Conor fights in general I was a bit nervous, because sometimes when somebody is in that very competitive mind-frame, they can’t change gears when they come to see me. But he was just himself, and I remember thinking: ‘Wow, he already knows how to turn it on and off and conserve the energies he has for when he needs them.’ He’s so tactful with how he handles the before, during and after.” PC: “He nearly became a mythological creature. The Poirier fight, to me, symbolises McGregor going from being an Irish commodity to an international commodity. To be clear: He had belonged to this generation – not the Irish in general. At this stage he hadn’t put a foot wrong, he was becoming our national ambassador. When people found out you were Irish, it used to be: ‘Oh, Guinness! Roy Keane!’ It became: ‘Oh, Conor McGregor!’ “The thing about my generation is we were kids who came out of college into a recession. Conor was this kind of shining light for us, this story of triumph amid this societal chaos in Ireland. We had so much skin in the game. People used the [Chad] Mendes fight as their summer holiday. I was walking around, seeing guys I hadn’t seen since I left school. I must’ve met 200 people I knew from home, I’m not even being overdramatic. “That’s what the Poirier fight did: It laid the foundation for what would become the Irish invasion of Vegas, it planted the seeds for Conor fights to be the big sporting events of our generation.” AH: “If Conor had lost [against Poirier], it would have been a major setback. This was a really big fight for him on a pay-per-view with a lot of big names. It felt like the true unveiling of him as this great prize-fighter and one of the faces of the UFC. If he doesn’t win, the Aldo dream fight is done; he has to claw his way back up. You can’t say he loses one fight and he’ll never amount to anything, but that would have been a serious impediment in his meteoric rise.” Read More Eddie Hearn and Conor McGregor had 'friendly row' after KO of Irish boxer Conor McGregor reveals how he scored Katie Taylor fight from ringside Conor McGregor makes guarantee for Michael Chandler fight UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary, McGregor Forever Katie Taylor chases rematch after decision loss to Chantelle Cameron