UFC 264 Aftermath: Welcome to Conor McGregor’s mid-career crisis
On Saturday evening at UFC 264 we had been presupposed to witness a coronation, the return of Conor McGregor, the Jester King of MMA. however within the end it turned into revealed that in actuality the emperor had no clothing, a whole lot less a crown. Heading into Saturday night, we had been promised “the historic Conor McGregor” however in certainty what we obtained changed into a nasty impersonation. on the pre-battle press convention, McGregor hurled insults and made threats nonetheless it changed into a miles cry from the brief-witted, self-assured Irishman who as soon as ended Jeremy Stephens’ total profession with a quip. it all felt pressured, like a man attempting to re-ignite the magic of an extended-lifeless relationship. There became sense that even McGregor himself didn’t consider it. That he knew the neatly had run dry so he dialed it up the antics even more in an try and wring the remaining drops of magic out of it. As Poirier himself observed, it reeked of desperation. Then we bought the in-cage product, which became no longer a whole lot improved. McGregor got here out firing kicks and trying to time a left hand, however when Poirier cracked him with his own left hand that rattled him, McGregor ducked beneath for a clinch and then tried to start a guillotine. This from the man who spoke of “first one to shoot is a dusty b*tch” and that submissions don’t count number. neatly, this one certainly didn’t as Poirier extricated himself brief adequate and proceeded to beat McGregor down, a la Khabib Nurmagomedov. For the more desirable a part of three minutes McGregor made little attempt to truly rise up, instead firing off elbows from the bottom and ingesting much larger pictures in return. Then, with time brief, Poirier complained that McGregor became blatantly dishonest and grabbing his gloves and McGregor finally stood up, most effective to shatter his personal leg moments later. in the conclusion, Conor McGregor, whose top of the line circular is at all times his first round, turned into on the wrong facet of a ten-8 circular and then snapped his leg in half. The worst, though, become nonetheless yet to return. For all the “notorious” bravado, McGregor has continuously been some of the sport’s most effective losers, at the least in the instant aftermath. each time he has been defeated, McGregor has taken his lumps on the press conference and given credit score — every so often begrudgingly — the place due. now not during this example even though. Laying bloodied and broken on the floor, McGregor turned into unable to muster even a semblance of humility, announcing he’d take this backyard if he mandatory to and resorting to an unpleasant diatribe about Poirier’s wife. remember in “a couple of good guys” when Jack Nicholson tells Tom Cruise he’s going “to rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull!”? It become like that (made the entire greater apt via McGregor’s personal post-combat “You want me on that wall!” commentary). The margins in MMA are so small that any minute decline may end up in an enormous change in outcomes; additionally, preserving your ability level doesn’t assure success. The game is advancing at a fast tempo, every day. At this point, it’s undeniable that, at highest quality, McGregor has stagnated and, extra likely, he’s regressed. photographs that used to drop opponents now just get a wince and punches that up to now bounced off McGregor’s head now make him lower back up. some of this can also be attributed to not having the colossal actual benefits that he used to have at featherweight, however’s additionally a matter of getting turn into predictable. each person knows how McGregor fights now and they're all way more organized to counter it. getting older gracefully in MMA is nearly impossible and, to be frank, McGregor turned into on no account the class of grownup who turned into going pull it off. Staying on the top of the mountain requires a humility it is anathema to McGregor’s state of being. despite having his ass kicked, many times, over the final few years, McGregor has been entirely unable to accept that what he is doing isn’t working. He has maintained that the reasons he lost were small oversights or, pardon the pun, bad breaks, and not a primary shortcoming in his video game. McGregor can be smartly-served to take a lesson from Poirier during this example. When Poirier found he turned into developing brief, he grappled together with his deficiencies and reinvented himself, including tools and fitting some of the very best opponents on the planet. McGregor just doubled down on the same old stuff and maintains getting beaten because of this. It’s fairly clear now that what we're seeing is Conor McGregor’s mid-profession crisis. a person he once put away in beneath two minutes has now crushed him twice, and as a whole lot as his fans and Dana White may additionally want to say this third one became controversial, even McGregor is aware of the reality of the matter: Poirier is without problems the more desirable fighter than he's. The proof is in the punching and McGregor is having a hard time reconciling that with the stories he has informed himself his total profession. Can he flip it throughout and are available back from this? sure, it’s viable, but it surely doesn’t appear probably. If McGregor become able to definitely set aside his ego and reckon together with his failings, he wouldn’t be Conor McGregor in any respect. It’s talked about the entire time but the most efficient component about MMA is that despite the hype and the trash speak and whatever else, on the conclusion of the day the reality will out within the cage. The cage has spoken and Conor McGregor has been discovered trying. “we are going to fight once again no matter if it’s within the octagon or on the sidewalk. You don’t say the stuff he referred to. My wife’s solid as a rock, I’m no longer worried about that. That’s noise. He become saying that he became going to kill me. You don’t say stuff like that. That he was going to homicide me. You don’t say stuff like that.” - Dustin Poirier on a fourth battle with Conor McGregor. “i was boxing the bleeding head off of him, kicking the bleeding leg off. here is not over. If I have to take this outdoor with him, it’s on outdoor. I don’t provide a bollocks.” - Conor McGregor, additionally setting up a fourth fight. “The battle didn’t get entire. that you may’t have a combat finish that means, so we’ll see how this entire factor plays out. Who is aware of how long Conor is out, so Poirier will do his component until Conor’s capable.” - Dana White, additionally developing a fourth battle. “One become a scorching sauce. I feel the scorching sauce took every little thing else. F*ck, i used to be like, ‘Ugh.’ I suppose it was Poirier’s too. God!” - Tai Tuivasa on his many shoeys as he exited the arena after knocking out Greg Hardy. “I believe 30 seconds left, i wanted to place his lights out. americans want to see people get their head battered in. Thirty greater seconds and i could have landed one more 15-20 head pictures, added to the listing or caught up to whatever thing listing there is. Herb is the man. He knew what he crucial to do.” - Sean O’Malley on his controversial stoppage over Kris Moutinho. replenish Dustin Poirier: though McGregor and White are attempting to create controversy, there is none right here. Poirier beat McGregor down, and unless someone beats him, he’s the premiere lightweight on this planet. Tai Tuivasa: not an awful lot to speak of from the fight itself but Tuivasa is certainly building a reference to the enthusiasts as his exit from the arena indicates. With all of the shoeys he’s being given, the man will not ever need to buy a beer again. Irene Aldana: After a lackluster efficiency in her ultimate bout, Aldana bounced returned by putting the boots to Yana Kunitskaya. In bantamweight division determined for new title challengers, the win places Aldana right returned within the mix. Sean O’Malley: It wasn’t the highlight-reel KO he wanted, however O’Malley put on a clinic with a view to have informal fans desirous to tune in for more from the rising megastar. Ilia Topuria: Topuria has been touted as an elite prospect for a while now and Saturday become his coming out celebration. Ryan corridor is a man no one desired to combat and Topuria obliterated him. Welcome to the rankings, “El Matador.” Kris Moutinho: It’s tough to claim a person who absorbed a listing-breaking beatdown noticed his stock upward push, but coming into Saturday, Moutinho became considered as a sacrificial lamb. And despite being hopelessly outmatched, Moutinho confirmed he’s tough as nails and possibly belongs in the UFC. stock Down Conor McGregor: McGregor regarded even worse towards Poirier than he did again in January, and then he shattered his leg. 2021 has now not been his year. Stephen Thompson: apart from losing one of the crucial underwhelming bouts on the cardboard, at 38 years historic, that changed into probably the conclusion of Thompson’s title aspirations, as a minimum within the UFC. Greg Hardy: each time Hardy is given an opportunity to show he belongs in the UFC he falls flat on his face. This time, he did it literally because of a counterpunch from Tuivasa. It’s time for Hardy to get some seasoning backyard the UFC. Ryan hall: On the plus side for corridor, he likely won’t have drawback finding americans to combat him now. however corridor obtained placed on a poster with authority and with his mystique now cracked, the vultures should be coming. Arguably the biggest non-leading event story coming out of UFC 264 become the ultimate minute stoppage within the O’Malley-Moutinho bout made by Herb Dean. Many individuals, including the UFC’s personal commentary team, had been incensed that Dean stopped the combat with below 30 seconds left, peculiarly as Moutinho was still on his toes. those individuals are wrong. With a minute left within the fight, Moutinho had already absorbed 200+ strikes, most of them to the pinnacle, and O’Malley become pouring it on in search of a stoppage. Moutinho had zero probability of profitable that combat and when warned to take care of himself, he as a substitute zombie-walked ahead into an additional mixture. It’s not Herb Dean’s job to facilitate ethical victories, it’s to protect the combatants. And Moutinho essential keeping from himself. If anything else, Dean’s stoppage could have come previous, although I remember why it came about when it did. Herb Dean did nothing incorrect and the true screwups listed below are Moutinho’s cornermen who allowed that fight to proceed after the primary minute of the last round. Oh, and Marc Goddard should still’ve deducted a degree from Gilbert Burns for punches to the again of the pinnacle at the end of the third round, but as we all be aware of, cheating is totally allowed in MMA. Dustin Poirier vs. Charles Oliveira: Poirier is the choicest lightweight on this planet and Oliveira at present has the belt. this is simple and it’s what is coming. Conor McGregor vs. Tony Ferguson: every person will say it’s time for McGregor-Diaz III and that’s basically certainly what we will in reality get however at this element, that’s a risky fight for McGregor. Ferguson, in contrast, might get him back on the horse in a major method. Gilbert Burns vs. Neil Magny: These aren’t the fights Burns called for however after getting starched with the aid of the champion, Burns needs to safeguard his rating another time earlier than getting a excellent-5 guy. Stephen Thompson vs. Belal Muhammad: Thompson’s title aspirations are shot at this factor but he can nonetheless function gatekeeper to the celebrities. Muhammad may still get the possibility to retain hiking. Sean O’Malley vs. Ricky Simon: there's a good backstory right here. just run with it. Carlos Condit vs. Nate Diaz: Make this the primary seven-circular fight in UFC historical past and take all my funds. Dustin Poirier is the premiere lightweight on earth now not named Khabib Nurmagomedov and his latest run is among the many most extraordinary in the history of the recreation. We don't admire satisfactory just how good this man is. Chucky Olives is in challenge. provide McGregor credit for this: He handled that leg damage more suitable than any person I’ve ever viewed. Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman seemed, understandably, like someone had taken an ax to them. in the meantime McGregor turned into extra concerned about making certain it was a doctor’s stoppage TKO and even gave an interview whereas splinted. Dude is challenging as a coffin nail. If Conor McGregor has any actual interest in getting returned to the excellent of the MMA world competitively, he HAS to trade gyms. sure men don’t make for first rate career comebacks. I keep in mind why everybody is pitching a fourth combat — McGregor can’t address the loss, Poirier wishes a straightforward paycheck, and White is hoping in opposition t hope that McGregor can excessive roll once more — but first rate lord is that an awful idea. Poirier beats McGregor 9 instances out of 10 at this stage and running it again eternally just makes McGregor appear to be Wile E. Coyote. Put McGregor in there against the Donald Cerrones of the area and build him again up. Jolie Poirier is a legend. He’s at last carried out it: I believe that Gilbert Burns is legitimately a fine welterweight. It nonetheless doesn’t make sense to me but i can not die on the hill. Too many exceptional performances. Michel Pereira is still the superior. Backflip head stomps for the win. Ilia Topuria is going to dangle a title at some point. That man is an issue. That reduce on Jessica Eye’s brow. Yeesh. each time the lightweight division is highlighted, i will’t aid but consider about how decent Khabib was and what we lost together with his retirement.