Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor shares his thoughts with Jon Anik after being defeated by Dustin Poirier in the UFC 257 main event.

McGregor suffered his first career knockout loss to “The Diamond” on Saturday. The bout was a rematch and Poirier avenged his 2014 loss to McGregor.

TRENDING Dana White no longer thinks Khabib is going to fight again following UFC 257

(Courtesy of UFC)

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/conor-mcgregor-cites-inactivity-for-loss-to-dustin-poirier-ufc-257-octagon-interview

Lightweight Michael Chandler announced his arrival to the UFC and the rest of the division with a massive first-round knockout over Dan Hooker in the UFC 257 co-main event.

TRENDING UFC 257 results: Dustin Poirier knocks out Conor McGregor; Michael Chandler stuns Dan Hooker

(Courtesy of UFC)

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/michael-chandler-lightweight-division-has-a-new-king-ufc-257-octagon-interview

Nate Diaz has spoken.

Following the UFC 257 main event Saturday, in which Dustin Poirier finished Conor McGregor with punches in Round 2, Diaz (20-12 MMA, 18-11 UFC) took to Twitter to weigh in on the fight.

“These guys all get finished all the time,” Diaz wrote.

Despite not having fought since November 2019, Diaz continues to be a potential matchup on the tip of many fighters’ tongues. Both McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and Poirier (27-6 MMA, 20-6 UFC) displayed an interest in fights against Diaz at the UFC 257 post-fight news conference. Both have a history with the Irishman.

These guys all get finished all the time 🤦🏻‍♂️

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 24, 2021

McGregor and Diaz fought twice in 2016, at UFC 196 and UFC 202. Diaz finished McGregor by second-round submission in the first meeting before McGregor won a majority decision in the rematch.

As for Poirier, he was briefly paired with Diaz for a fight scheduled to take place at UFC 230 in November 2018. However, when Poirier withdrew from the matchup, Diaz soured on fighting on the event.

Diaz has only suffered three professional losses inside the distance, with his loss to Jorge Masvidal in his most recent fight coming by way of stoppage due to a cut.

UFC 257 took place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-nate-diaz-reacts-conor-mcgregor-vs-dustin-poirier

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Dustin Poirier after UFC 257 win?)

Conor McGregor’s return to the octagon at UFC 257 had a catastrophic result. The Irishman suffered his first knockout loss in MMA competition courtesy of Dustin Poirier in their main event matchup.

McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) got dropped and stopped by TKO in the second round of the lightweight rematch, which took place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. He did not have an answer to Poirier’s (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) leg kicks, nor the subsequent head shots that led to his demise.

Although the outcome was not in his favor, McGregor is not at a dead end in MMA. He seemingly wants to keep fighting, and there still remains a plethora of options for him going forward.

So what’s next for McGregor? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC 257.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-conor-mcgregor-next-fight-matchmaker-knockout-loss-dustin-poirier

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Conor McGregor after UFC 257 loss?)

Dustin Poirier added a feat to his resume that can never be taken away Saturday when he handed Conor McGregor his first knockout loss in MMA to close out the UFC 257 main event.

Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC), a former interim lightweight champion, put together a brilliant strategy to set up a second-round TKO of McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. With the performance, he avenged a key career loss to McGregor and proved he’s likely the top fighter in his division with Khabib Nurmagomedov absent from the scene.

Moments don’t get much bigger in the fight game than what Poirier accomplished at UFC 257. So how does he proceed going forward? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future coming out of his victory in the rematch with McGregor.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-dustin-poirier-next-fight-matchmaker-knockout-conor-mcgregor-lightweight-title