On January 23rd, one of the most anticipated fights of the year took place on the most famous island in sports: Yan Island of Abu Dhabi. The main card of the event featured a rematch between Dustin Poirier and the notorious Conor McGregor. 

In the weeks leading up to the fight, Dustin had been able to embrace his role as the underdog and was prepared for anything to occur during the matchup. Despite the books strongly favoring the Irishman, both fighters knew it would be a close fight and hold a deep respect for each other. 

The outcome of the fight, however, was not what most fans expected. Conor experienced the first TKO of his MMA career, falling to the Diamond early in the second period. Throughout the fight, Conor had no answer to Poireier’s leg kicks and the head strikes later in the round that inevitably led to his defeat. 

Following the loss, many fans and viewers of the sport are unsure of what the future holds for Conor in both a lifestyle and professional sense.

Per Dana White on what he believes is next for McGregor, “there are two ways this goes… hungrier, or I’m done.” Dana later stated that he believes Conor’s heart wasn’t as in it, which may have affected his performance. 

A popular opinion from the UFC community, as well as Dana White, is that Conor has become more civilized. While growing up and rising through the ranks, McGregor was significantly more ruthless and fueled by his desire to be great. After getting everything he ever wanted, from a 310-foot yacht to countless custom suits, it’s hard not to become softer when you are one of the highest-paid athletes in all of sports. 

Although the loss to Poirier was a small setback for Conor, he still has plans to stay active in the sport. Additionally, both Conor and Poirier announced their interest in a third fight to continue the trilogy.