Chael Sonnen has revealed what Conor McGregor needs to do to beat Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
The former UFC fighter and a longtime MMA analyst weighed in on the upcoming McGregor-Poirier trilogy matchup and explained the difference between the first round and the rest of the fight.
‘The American Gangster’ suggested that Conor McGregor needs to make the fight about sport and technique rather than grit and toughness. In an edition of Beyond the Fight on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen referenced UFC middleweight Chris Weidman and former UFC fighter Dan Hardy’s respective breakdowns of the McGregor-Poirier matchup.
Sonnen indicated that both Weidman and Hardy provided interesting perspectives on the fight. Hardy’s take was more focused on the skill vs. skill aspect of the matchup. Sonnen addressed this and stated:
“I completely concur with what Dan (Hardy) said – that it has to do with skill, it has to do with range, it has to do with application of the understanding of the techniques themselves – as long as we’re only talking about the first round. The first round is about who’s better. The rest of the fight is about who’s tougher. That’s where the fight starts.
“It’s a sport in the first round. First five minutes is all about sport; and how did you prepare? What is your IQ? After that, it is straight chaos where you’re digging deep, you’re returning to the techniques you learned when you were 10, 11, or 14 years old. Absolutely nothing else. You’re looking for survival. You’re waiting to hear the horn. You’re counting down the time in your head, how much time (is left).
“I mean, it’s just one of these things where the fight doesn’t break out in the first round. That’s a sporting contest. That’s a battle of skill. After the first round, right, when a guy’s nose is bleeding, when his eye is swollen, when his heart rate is up, that’s where the fight begins.
Additionally, Chael Sonnen praised Conor McGregor’s martial arts mastery. Sonnen said:
“I think that Hardy makes a good point, which is as long as Conor cannot make this about grit and toughness – as long as he can make it about sport and technique, he is a true master.” (*Video courtesy: Chael Sonnen; h/t Sportskeeda for the transcription)
The consensus in the MMA community, along with experts like Chael Sonnen, is that Conor McGregor will be at his most dangerous in the first round of the fight.
Most have also suggested that the fight is likely to turn in Dustin Poirier’s favor should it go past round one.
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are set to complete their trilogy at UFC 264
Conor McGregor first faced Dustin Poirier in a featherweight bout at UFC 178 in 2014 and defeated Poirier via a first-round TKO. Their rematch was a lightweight bout that transpired at UFC 257 earlier this year, which saw Poirier beat McGregor via a second-round knockout.
At UFC 264 this weekend, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are scheduled to compete in their highly anticipated trilogy matchup. It’ll be a lightweight bout that’ll headline the PPV.
The winner of the bout is likely to receive the next shot at the UFC lightweight title that’s currently held by Charles Oliveira.
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