Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier is the biggest fight of the year thus far, and everyone has their take. Former UFC fighter Dan Hardy chipped in on whether Conor McGregor can still get into Poirier’s head as he did in their first fight at UFC 178.
Hardy spoke to Submission Radio for an interview and revealed that he doesn’t think Poirier will not let Conor into his head. Denis Shkuratov asked Hardy if Poirier can keep his emotions in check this time around, and Hardy replied:
“He has, but I do feel like he’s turned the corner now. I think the thing that’s changed is the fact that he sees it as a job now more than everything in his life. He’s got his family. He’s got his charity. There are other things going on in his life. He’s not put all of his eggs in this MMA basket.”
Hardy also added that Poirier felt disrespected in their first fight and that his emotions got the better of him. However, he turned it all around in their second fight at UFC 257:
“The second time around, he just didn’t engage him at all. He was very intelligent the way he approached it. The times when he could’ve jumped on McGregor a bit earlier, he didn’t. He waited, and he calculated, and I think his lack of love for the brawl is probably what’s going to help him deal with the emotional side of it,” Hardy said.
Dan Hardy believes Dustin Poirier has matured as a fighter
Hardy added that Poirier is not emotionally invested in fighting Conor McGregor anymore, and if he does treat this fight like a job, he won’t have any problems coming in. Hardy said:
“Poirier is at a circumstance now where he can look at McGregor. He can watch his antics at the press conference and go, I know this is part of your game plan, and I’m not buying into it. I just think he’s a more mature fighter now, and I don’t think there’s anything that McGregor can do to that’s really going to get him that riled.”
However, this doesn’t mean Poirier is completely invincible mentally, and Hardy warned him to be wary of a hurt Conor McGregor too. The fight is not over until it’s over, and Conor McGregor is the last guy you want taking a swing at you in desperation. Hardy said:
“Maybe the only danger would be the over-excitement if he does see McGregor’s hurt and wants to chase after it. I think being calculated all the way through this fight is the best way for him to be, and I think he’s mature enough to do it.”
Watch the full interview here:
