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Poirier avenged his loss in spectacular fashion.
He didn't only beat one of his hardest matchups, he also showed how much he has grown as a fighter.
A thread
He didn't only beat one of his hardest matchups, he also showed how much he has grown as a fighter.
A thread
His sparring's partner Shabliy said he was aiming for a wrestling and grappling heavy gameplan.
Conor was immediately taking the center, Poirier faked a right overhand to get Conor down with a double leg TD and pushed him against the fence.
Conor was immediately taking the center, Poirier faked a right overhand to get Conor down with a double leg TD and pushed him against the fence.
As to be expected it was hard for him to control Conor on the ground, he found quickly back to his feet and both ended up for extended periods of time in this position.
Conor pushed Dustin at first against the cage but Dustin was able to turn him with over and under hooks.
Conor pushed Dustin at first against the cage but Dustin was able to turn him with over and under hooks.
Conor was actually getting the better of Dustin in most clinch exchanges, he landed good knees to the body shoulder strikes that hurt Dustin or here the elbow off the clinch break.
The goal of Dustin wasn't really to win the exchanges neccesarily, more to take some pop out of the punches, make Conor work.
He was having a hard time doing it but an explosive guy like Conor will lose this way at least some pop off his strikes.
It's a battle of attrition.
He was having a hard time doing it but an explosive guy like Conor will lose this way at least some pop off his strikes.
It's a battle of attrition.
Dustin tried to find the distance with his jabs, Conor was backing up with half and L steps to change the position, he used a darting jab to get on the inside, feinted with rear hand to pull Dustin's lead hand and landed a shovel hook.
While Dustin did a good job to make Conor work early in the fight, it's still extremely hard to control him as seen above.
He is faster and more explosive, he has sneaky set ups to land shots from the outside.
Fighting Conor means to survive the early onslaught at first.
He is faster and more explosive, he has sneaky set ups to land shots from the outside.
Fighting Conor means to survive the early onslaught at first.
Dustin used different tactics to break Conor's rhythm, leg kicks in particular calf kicks was one of it, I come to this later but he used shifting combinations to back Conor up as well and reset the positions.
Conor did a good job by staying out of range but couldn't punish him.
Conor did a good job by staying out of range but couldn't punish him.
Shifting combinations are a tricky thing they are good to track fast a lot of distance but a timed counter will most likely floor the opponent.
Shifting means switching from one stance into another while punching, so there's a high chance of being caught out of stance.
Shifting means switching from one stance into another while punching, so there's a high chance of being caught out of stance.
Conor couldn't capitalize on it because Dustin used headmovement to dip out of range but Conor brought himself not into the position to effectively counter.
He is normally good in using pawing jabs to disinuate blitzes or shifts like these.
He is normally good in using pawing jabs to disinuate blitzes or shifts like these.
Taking better angles and pivoting to counter it with back stepping counters.
He isn't some masterful backfoot fighter but breaking his first wall of defense while not too deeply layered is most often extremely hard.
He isn't some masterful backfoot fighter but breaking his first wall of defense while not too deeply layered is most often extremely hard.
Despite all that Conor had still success for the remaining time to pressure Dustin against the cage, his use of his lead hand was really good at this point. Using the jab to draw out the high guard, landing a straight to the body and closing the door to a counter with a jab.
Conor did a good job of changing his lead and rear hand to threat Poirier.
Feinting with his rear hand to land lead hooks or his jab or vice versa using his lead hand to set up his rear hand.
Good use of feints to make it hard to read.
Feinting with his rear hand to land lead hooks or his jab or vice versa using his lead hand to set up his rear hand.
Good use of feints to make it hard to read.
Smashing the lead leg with a calf kick, he used his modified stonewall guard to parry Conor's punches with his forearm and elbow. Timing a check hook in between Conor's combination, feinting a jab to land another calf kick, countering after parrying with his jab and calf kick.
One of the biggest weapons for Poirier early was to break Conor's stance.
He used for that calf kicks to hit Conor's lead leg.
Conor was in a very lead leg heavy stance, flatfooted and not bouncing like he usually does.
Breaking Conor's stance helps to disrupt his rhythm.
He used for that calf kicks to hit Conor's lead leg.
Conor was in a very lead leg heavy stance, flatfooted and not bouncing like he usually does.
Breaking Conor's stance helps to disrupt his rhythm.
Also compromising his legs to limit his mobility and obviously taking some pop off the punches when Conor used his lead leg to generate power of it by leaning.
This scene in particular shows while Conor leading how his mobility is missing in comparison to other fights.
Not circling on the outside, using the threat of his left hand to corral opponents into kicks.
It felt disconnected not like his usual approach.
The kick had no effect.
Not circling on the outside, using the threat of his left hand to corral opponents into kicks.
It felt disconnected not like his usual approach.
The kick had no effect.
Normally is Conor really good to herd Conor into wheel or spinning back kicks while pressing or using the kicks to bring himself into position to land his devastating left hand.
He was more following here than effectively cutting angles and the cage.
He was more following here than effectively cutting angles and the cage.
Poirier is using his jab here as range tool to gauge the distance, trying to create space by closing the distance carefully with half steps.
Conor used his rear hand to hand fight, Poirier faked a stance switch.
Conor times a cross after Poirier lands a calf kick.
Conor used his rear hand to hand fight, Poirier faked a stance switch.
Conor times a cross after Poirier lands a calf kick.
It's unusual to see that Conor gets at times brought out so easily out position.
Poirier's feints, faking stance switches and calf kicks fucked up Conor's rhythm to really counter like he usually does.
Poirier's feints, faking stance switches and calf kicks fucked up Conor's rhythm to really counter like he usually does.
Poirier lands a calf kick but Conor continues to advance, feint with his left to land another shovel hook, using feinted jabs to land a straight but Dustin rolls with it but Conor follows up with another shovel hook.
As flatfooted as he was he used his lead hand very versatile.
As flatfooted as he was he used his lead hand very versatile.
Conor went more for kicks, leg kicks to break now Poirier's stance, he aimed not for the calf but the point above the popliteal fossa right where the thigh begins.
Followed by a high kick, Dustin countered with a calf kicks on his own.
Followed by a high kick, Dustin countered with a calf kicks on his own.
Conor was starting to turn in his knee and catching the kicks more frequently calf kicks can easier be checked than leg kicks like Conor did, at least in this stance when you are this front leg heavy
They can also be checked but you would need to be much lighter on the front foot
They can also be checked but you would need to be much lighter on the front foot
While Poirier was having success, Conor was never out of the fight and landed clean counters like here, a cross to counter Poirier's jab.
Conor caught the kick but was quite clueless what to do afterwards, Poirier framed off him to create some distance but Conor had more options than just finishing with a useless high kick at the end.
Kicking the other leg, landing straights.
He didn't capitalize enough here.
Kicking the other leg, landing straights.
He didn't capitalize enough here.
Conor hit the guard, check hook to back him off. Poirier began to open up double jabbing to land the straight, slipping to counters and feinting to finish with a calf kick.
At this point a momentum shift in favor of Poirier began to happen.
At this point a momentum shift in favor of Poirier began to happen.
As already mentioned Conor's catches weren't really useful he hit the guard like here and Poirier recoginzed that he could open up and was more willing to trade.
Seeing Conor's punches and more importantly being able to take them were a huge moment mentality wise.
Seeing Conor's punches and more importantly being able to take them were a huge moment mentality wise.
The beginning of the end was happening, Poirier was able to circle out and pin Conor against the cage.
It seems this was at some point part of the gameplan.
Conor needs space to successful counter what happened here is that he shelled up and Poirier fully capitalized on that.
It seems this was at some point part of the gameplan.
Conor needs space to successful counter what happened here is that he shelled up and Poirier fully capitalized on that.
He is excellent with his shot selection here, from head to body.
Conor does a good job on rolling under most of the punches at first but having no offensive threat led to Poirier continuing to tear off.
The right hook dropped him and Porier sealed the deal on the ground.
Conor does a good job on rolling under most of the punches at first but having no offensive threat led to Poirier continuing to tear off.
The right hook dropped him and Porier sealed the deal on the ground.
The difference towards Nate in comparison was that he was more patient in repositioning himself to hurt Conor badly.
Dustin has a better understanding as well to work around the guard as we can see here.
Dustin has a better understanding as well to work around the guard as we can see here.
It was a very competitive fight where Conor had throughout the majority of the fight the bigger offensive moments but Poirier had a gameplan that he followed through knowing that he might give away the early rounds.
As soon as he had him hurt he showed his killer instincts.
As soon as he had him hurt he showed his killer instincts.
Nonetheless Conor lost but this shouldn't lead to the fact to write him off.
He looked physically fine but had a bad gameplan, while Dustin had the right ideas and plan in mind to force his advantages later on.
Dustin was the first man to finish Conor with strikes.
He looked physically fine but had a bad gameplan, while Dustin had the right ideas and plan in mind to force his advantages later on.
Dustin was the first man to finish Conor with strikes.
As a good friend of mine always says fighting is about the approach and to force your advantages to have success.
Conor looked less mobile, he was more stationary and his game planning was bad but him losing happened because Poirier had the mental resilience and ideas to force
Conor looked less mobile, he was more stationary and his game planning was bad but him losing happened because Poirier had the mental resilience and ideas to force
His advantages here.
There were moments where Conor had him hurt and could've followed up.
It's often those details that make the difference.
There were moments where Conor had him hurt and could've followed up.
It's often those details that make the difference.
