Check out these super slow-mo UFC 257 highlights, including clips of Dustin Poirier’s big win over Conor McGregor.
Over six years later, [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] got his revenge against [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].
Poirier, who was stopped in Round 1 in his 2014 meeting with McGregor, was able to flip the script in their rematch, which headlined UFC 257. In a competitive first round, Poirier was able to take some of McGregor’s best shots, firing back with a few of his own. “The Diamond” briefly got McGregor to the ground as the two exchanged positions in the clinch.
But it was one key tactical change that paid dividends for Poirier, who effectively used calf kicks to hinder McGregor’s movement. Midway through Round 2, Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) hit McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) one one more leg kick, before backing him up against the cage with a barrage of punches that finished the fight.
You can watch it all unfold in super slow-motion in the UFC 257 “Fight Motion” video highlights above.
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Also featured are [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]’s statement finish of Dan Hooker, [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]’s big upset TKO of Amanda Ribas, [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]’s late finish of Andrew Sanchez, and plenty more back-and-forth action from the prelims.
UFC 257 took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
John Kavanagh breaks down how Dustin Poirier’s leg kicks proved decisive in stopping Conor McGregor.
John Kavanagh wasn’t shocked to see [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] utilize calf kicks in his bout against [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] at UFC 257, but the SBG Ireland head coach did admit that the devastating effect of those kicks certainly caught them by surprise as Poirier handed McGregor the first TKO loss of his career in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking to ESPN in the aftermath of the fight, Kavanagh revealed just how debilitating Poirier’s kicks were as what looked like a positive start to the fight for McGregor ended abruptly in the second round.
Immediately after the fight, McGregor pointed to inactivity as one of the key factors in his defeat before revealing just how damaging Poirier’s kicks were. Kavanagh agreed but said that even additional training wouldn’t have fully prepared his man for the kicks he took.
“He does so much sparring that you hope that there’s not going to be ring rust, because he’s getting the rounds in,” Kavanagh said. “But again, somewhat ironically, this particular technique is one that is almost impossible to replicate.
“The fact that Dustin threw it is not that surprising. It was certainly part of our training, to deal with leg kicks. How devastating a technique it was somewhat caught us out. In the gym, when you’re throwing that technique, you’re not trying to kick your partner as hard as you possibly can, and you’re also wearing shin pads, kick pads. … You can build up a false confidence – ‘I feel it, but it’s not that bad.’ Then it’s only in fighting that you get tiny gloves and no shin pads.
“From October 2018, coming up two-and-a-half years almost, he had 40 seconds of feeling what kicks feel like with no pads on, and punches with four-ounce gloves. So, yeah, that is one thing you cannot replicate.”
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Kavanagh said he was generally happy with how things were going when McGregor returned to the corner at the end of Round 1. He’d been taken down, but Kavanagh was encouraged by the way McGregor reacted to it and fought his way back to his feet without taking damage, and also took heart from McGregor’s lack of fatigue after an action-packed opening five minutes.
“I took a lot of positivity from it,” Kavanagh said. “He’s clearly not feeling even the beginning of tiredness. I felt at the end of Round 1, this is probably going to be a long fight, because he landed a couple of shots. I thought there was once or twice where Dustin wobbled a little bit, so the finish would come, but let’s not chase it. Let’s not get too over-excited, and if we’re going to be doing three, four, five rounds, it’s nice to see at the end of Round 1 that he doesn’t even have to sit down.
“I thought by the end of Round 1, that’s kind of it now for takedowns. Now it’s a kickboxing battle, and (from) the shots I saw from Round 1, Conor got the better of him. So, going into the second I thought, energy’s great, probably takedown attempts are if not over, Conor’s very switched on (to them). … So we’re going to start going into a nice kickboxing battle, and Conor’s one of the best in the world at that. But then those damn, pesky, peroneal nerve kicks.”
The technique of hammering the lower leg has become a go-to weapon for fighters in recent years, with the damage caused by the kicks producing some positive results. Notably, Brent Primus used the technique to great effect to defeat Michael Chandler at Bellator NYC in June 2017, with his kicks causing Chandler to lose the ability to control his foot as he repeatedly rolled his ankle. That “drop-foot” phenomenon didn’t happen to McGregor on fight night, but the effective use of his leg certainly deteriorated after Poirier’s repeated kicks.
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
As Kavanagh explained, it doesn’t take many powerful kicks to the right spot to have a huge effect on the recipient’s mobility and stability.
“It’s one of those techniques that really two or three, maybe maximum four proper, clean connections, and that’s it,” Kavanagh said. “If anybody’s experienced cracking your elbow and you hit that funny nerve – that electric shock you get is similar. It’s nerve damage rather than like a sore muscle or a body shot, or something you can get through, you know? You just can’t.
“It’s on or it’s off. The bottom half of the leg is off, and when (McGregor) kind of slipped the shot and Dustin caught him with a nice uppercut, he went to transfer his body weight onto the right leg, and it just gave (way), and he just went down, and that was the end of that. So we definitely have to fix that.”
Kavanagh’s famous mantra, which became the title of his book, is “win or learn,” and he’s already using the loss, and close-up experience of seeing the effectiveness of Poirier’s low leg kicks, to ensure his man is better prepared and more dangerous the next time he sets foot inside the octagon.
“We’re, as usual, an obsessive personality,” Kavanagh said. “Because it was over before lunchtime, we had the day together to talk about it. We had discussed (low kicks) in the training camp. Like I said, (we were) not surprised by the kicks being thrown, but very surprised by the effectiveness of the technique. So we will add it to our arsenal.
“I thought we did well in pretty much every other part of the fight. I would have loved to have seen a couple more rounds, some grappling exchanges and some more punches back and forward, because he needs more time in the cage. What did we get? Seven-and-a-half minutes in that fight? So we’re racking up the minutes. I hope there’s a lot more minutes this year.”
The latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique” focuses on the fallout from Dustin Poirier’s TKO of Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler’s win.
Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a quick spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, host Simon Head is joined by panelists Brian “Goze” Garcia from MMA Junkie Radio, as well as MMA Junkie’s Nolan King and Danny Segura. We did something different this week, putting out some bold statements coming out of UFC 257 and asking: Overreaction or on the money? Let’s get into it!
[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] came up with a huge TKO victory over [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] in the UFC 257 main event. It means McGregor still hasn’t beaten a quality opponent since November 2016. Statement: Conor McGregor will never win a UFC title again. Overreaction or on the money?
On the flip side of the UFC 257 main event, Poirier is riding high after avenging his 2014 loss to McGregor, and he now has wins over five former world champions on his resume. There was no title on the line in the McGregor rematch, but Poirier is considering himself the king of 155. Statement: After his performance at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier is the uncrowned UFC lightweight champion. Overreaction or on the money?
Also at UFC 257, [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] made a huge statement about his status as one of the lightweight division’s elite fighters by taking out contender Dan Hooker inside the first round. It was one heck of a UFC debut for the former three-time Bellator champion. Statement: Michael Chandler deserves an immediate title shot after that win over Dan Hooker. Overreaction or on the money?
The shadow of [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] hung over UFC 257 after UFC president Dana White indicated before the show that Khabib would consider fighting whomever did something spectacular. Then after the event, White didn’t sound optimistic about Khabib coming out of retirement – even though both Poirier and Chandler did something spectacular. Statement: The Khabib sweepstakes were all a hoax, and it was just about setting up Khabib vs. McGregor 2, and nothing else. Overreaction or on the money?
Hope you enjoy this week’s show. Watch Episode 64 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.
Following his first career knockout loss, Conor McGregor was handed a potential lengthy suspension.
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is facing hefty time off following his UFC 257 loss to [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] on Saturday.
Former UFC double champion McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) suffered a technical knockout loss – the first of his career – in a rematch against Poirier (27-6 MMA, 20-6 UFC). Prior to the finish, Poirier damaged McGregor’s legs with an onslaught of leg kicks.
McGregor, 32, was handed a 180-day medical suspension as a result of a potential right tibia/fibula injury sustained in the fight. Like all medical suspensions, he will be eligible to return sooner, if his injuries are cleared by a doctor.
Poirier, meanwhile, received a seven-day suspension for mandatory rest.
MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com for UFC 256, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
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After the fight, McGregor was on crutches. He hobbled his way backstage and to the post-fight news conference, where he expressed the pain he felt.
“My leg is completely dead,” McGregor said. “Even though I felt like I was checking them, it was just sinking into the muscle in the front of the leg, and it was badly compromised. It was like an American football in my suit at the moment, so it is what it is.”
UFC 257 competitors [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] were also each handed 180-day suspensions. Sanchez, who lost via TKO to Makhmud Muradov on the main card, suffered potential nasal and tibia/fibula injuries. In the featured preliminary card bout, Frevola suffered a potential right hand injury in a unanimous decision defeat to Arman Tsarukyan.
The full UFC 257 medical suspensions include:
Dustin Poirier: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
Conor McGregor: Suspended 180 days or until right tibia/fibula x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to TKO loss.
[autotag]Joanne Calderwood[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left brow laceration
[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
Andrew Sanchez: Suspended 180 days or until nasal and right tibia/fibula x-rays are cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to TKO loss.
[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left brow and scalp laceration.
Matt Frevola: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
[autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
[autotag]Marcin Prachnio[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
[autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left ankle pain.
[autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with 21 days no contact for right brow laceration.
[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
[autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
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+.
Regardless where the final number lands, UFC 257 will go down as one of the biggest events in company history.
It looks like [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s return did the blockbuster business many predicted.
According to a Monday report in the Sports Business Journal (subscription required), ESPN+ recorded 1.2 million pay-per-view buys for UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi, which was headlined by [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]’s second-round TKO victory over McGregor in a lightweight rematch. Another 400,000 international buys put the mark at 1.6 million.
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn reported one day earlier that 1.6 million was the floor for buys.
Per sources, early #UFC257 numbers are trending at a minimum of 1.6 million buys on ESPN+ pay-per-view. 📈
The UFC is not a publicly traded company and does not disclose financials. The early reporting on pay-per-view buys does not mention whether the company had to issue a significant number of refunds after reports of widespread problems accessing the live stream by viewers who had purchased the event.
Either way, if the 1.6 million buys figure stands, this would make UFC 257 one of the most top events in company history. UFC 229, featuring Khabib Numagomedov’s win over Conor McGregor, did a reported 2.4 million buys, while UFC 202, with McGregor’s majority decision win over Nate Diaz, was good for a reported 1.65 million purchases.
Dustin Poirier discusses the in-fight feeling he got while beating Conor McGregor at UFC 257 compared to when he lost in 2014.
ABU DHABI – For [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], everything was different about his rematch with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].
Poirier, who had previously lost to Mcgregor by TKO in 2014, avenged his defeat by putting away the Irish superstar in the second round of their main event bout at Saturday’s UFC 257 event in Abu Dhabi. Poirier became the first man to stop McGregor with strikes and set the score even.
The result, the weight class, the preparation and many more things were different this time around fighting McGregor. But perhaps the biggest one was how Poirier felt inside the octagon.
“That first one was so long ago,” Poirier told reporters at the UFC 257 post-fight news conference. “But I felt that – and maybe that’s just my growth, too – but I felt his presence less, his aura less.
“I just saw another fighter tonight. I think the first time I was deer in the headlights, you can say. This time, I was just fighting another man – another man who bleeds just like me, and I knew that.”
But that wasn’t the only intangible difference. Poirier’s mind was also at a different place for the second bout.
“I just felt in the moment. I felt aware and I felt here,” Poirier said. “I was in the moment and ready to take advantage of any opportunity I could get. It felt right tonight. When I walked into the octagon and the air hit me, the lights were on me, and Bruce (Buffer) was introducing us, it just felt right.”
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Poirier now has back-to-back victories over McGregor and Dan Hooker since losing in a championship fight against lightweight title holder Khabib Nurmagomedov in September 2019. Nurmagomedov retired in October, but has yet to be stripped of his lightweight belt.
Poirier knows a trilogy bout against McGregor has now opened and also named Nate Diaz as a possible opponent for his next UFC fight. He wouldn’t be opposed to fight Charles Oliveira next for the vacant title, but he knows one thing for sure – he’s not fighting Michael Chandler, who won his UFC debut on Saturday.
“I don’t know what’s next, honestly,” Poirier said. “I have to get home, speak to Dana (White), speak to the UFC, and see what’s making sense. I can guarantee I’m not fighting Michael Chandler. They can do whatever they want with the division, but if something happens that makes sense, then we’ll do it.”
John Kavanagh says a title shot would keep Conor McGregor motivated, otherwise “maybe he drifts off into boxing.”
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] wants to run things back immediately with Dustin Poirier, according to SBG Ireland head coach [autotag]John Kavanagh[/autotag].
The former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion hopes to set up a trilogy fight with Poirier before the summer of 2021. McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who had beaten Poirier back in 2014, lost by second-round TKO in the rematch this past Saturday at UFC 257.
McGregor was stopped after wining the first round on all three judges’ scorecards. McGregor looked good early, connecting with some solid shots, but Poirier was able to manage, slow down McGregor with leg kicks, and then finish the Irish star in the second with a flurry of punches.
Now, just days removed from the rematch, McGregor is already thinking about the trilogy and settling the score.
“He’s already harassing everybody to get the rematch, so we would love to rematch,” Kavanagh told UFC broadcast partner ESPN. “I don’t think Dustin is against that. If we can get the rematch before summer, that would be amazing.
“If it’s not to be, then I guess I don’t really know. Maybe he (McGregor) drifts off into the boxing. So if the MMA community could help me out here, get behind me, and pester the UFC to give him another fight sooner rather than later – so I don’t lose him to boxing for six months – I would appreciate it.”
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McGregor doesn’t just want the trilogy, according to Kavanagh. He wants the third Poirier fight to happen with the vacant lightweight title on the line.
Currently, Khabib Nurmagomedov holds the belt at 155 pounds, but he retired back in October. UFC president DanaWhite has been persistent in persuading Nurmagomedov to walk back his retirement but admitted after UFC 257 that it was unlikely.
Kavanagh says the title shot would be big motivation for McGregor, adding that he believes it’s the right way to settle the score with Poirier.
“That’s the big drive,” Kavanagh explained. “It’s 1-1, they’re right up there in the rankings, they’re very popular fighters.
“I think the two of them are a beautiful matchup. Stylistically, it’s beautiful to watch. I’d love to see lots and lots of rounds between the two of them. Dustin is obviously riding high with confidence now with more experience and more weight. He took some of those shots. I’m sure his confidence is super high at the moment. We have to fix that technique with the leg and a couple of other things, as well, but Dustin vs. Conor 3 for the belt in maybe May, that would be amazing.”
City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman explains why he’s not dwelling on Dan Hooker’s latest setback at UFC 257.
City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman isn’t putting too much stock in his pupil, [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]’s, loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257.
Hooker was stopped in the first round of his lightweight bout against former Bellator champion Chandler in the co-main event this past Saturday in Abu Dhabi. The defeat put Hooker on a two-fight skid, which includes a loss to Dustin Poirier last year.
Although this is the first time Hooker has back-to-back defeats in his six-year UFC career, Bareman thinks that’s just the nature of the game when you’re part of the elite.
“Top 15 guys, nothing separates them,” Bareman said on Combat TV. “Like I said, it’s equivalent to a 100-meter sprint. Between No. 1 and No. 10, there’s less than a second difference.
“So it’s not any different in the top 10, top five of the UFC. You’re separated by nothing. On any particular day, anyone can win, anyone can be champion. It’s just how close it is. That’s just how it is at the top end.”
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That same night at UFC 257, former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor was also stopped, falling short against Poirier in the main event.
Bareman like that matchup as both fighters are coming off defeats and reiterates that defeats mean very little in MMA.
“A lot has to come together for these fights to get made, but that’s definitely a possibility, so I’ll definitely put that out there,” Bareman said regarding the McGregor matchup. “Like I said, anything can happen. We obviously didn’t expect to lose, Conor didn’t expect to lose. This game is ruthless, but the flip side of it is that this isn’t boxing.
“This is the UFC, and in the UFC the best fight the best straight away. There’s no maneuvering and you have to wait five years for Anthony Joshua to fight Tyson Fury. It’s none of that stuff. You get in the UFC, and you fight the best straight away. And for that reason, one loss doesn’t mean anything. In boxing, they put a lot more on that, but this is MMA. You’re forced to fight the best straight away. One loss for Conor, one loss for Dan, it doesn’t mean anything. Just like Conor lost before, just like Dustin lost before, just like Michael Chandler has lost before.”
A UFC fighter since 2009, Nik Lentz finishes his career with 25 promotional appearances.
After 45 professional fights, including 25 appearances in the UFC, [autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag] is walking away from MMA competition.
On Saturday, in what would be his final fight, Lentz (30-12-2 MMA, 14-9-1 UFC) lost a split decision to Movsar Evloev on the UFC 257 prelims.
Afterward, the 36-year-old released a statement announcing his retirement alongside an image of him sporting facial damage from the Evloev fight. Lentz pointed to a serious eye injury sustained against Arnold Allen in January 2020 as a major factor in his decision to hang up his gloves.
“They say don’t make rash decisions after a loss, but this one is not rash or even quick for that matter,” Lentz wrote. “The injury I suffered to my eyes last year was a career-ender. In total I lost about 40% of my vision, but I wanted to see what one more hard-fought battle was like with the new eyes. It was clear to me last night that it’s impossible for me to compete at this level anymore. I just can’t lock on to a moving target like I should, and with 40% of my vision practically gone… it’s chaotic to (say) the least.
“My life as fighter in the best organization on the planet ends here. I am not sad or upset by it, the day comes for everyone. I stand with my head high, God as my redeemer and my children and wife as my treasure. Fighting gave those treasures and only ask for a little vision as payment. A trade I would make 100% of the time.”
“Thank you to my fans, my coaches, my family and everyone who has been a part of this process. Who knows what comes next for The Carny…. but I can tell you what it’s not.”
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Lentz made his UFC debut at UFC 103 in 2009. He never challenged for title gold over his 12-year UFC career, but he faced some of the toughest competitors at featherweight and lightweight, including Chad Mendes, Gray Maynard, Islam Makhachev, and Charles Oliveira three times.
Notable UFC wins for Lentz include Maynard, Will Brooks, Manny Gamburyan, Tyson Griffin, Hacran Dias, Danny Castillo, and Scott Holtzman.
Check out Lentz’s retirement post below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKbSu7RJi7u/
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+.
Check out Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here, and you can check it out live on SportsCastr beginning at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
On Episode 3,125, the guys will look back at UFC 257 and cover all the biggest storylines, including Dustin Poirier’s knockout of Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler’s impressive debut, and much more. Tune in!
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
