Dustin Poirier expects Conor McGregor to return to form and beat Michael Chandler when they fight.
“The Diamond” recently shared his thoughts on The MMA Hour on the unannounced super fight between his former conquests. During the segment, Poirier believes a rejuvenated McGregor could stop Chandler in two rounds.
“If Conor is who he was before the injury and stuff, I think two rounds — I think the fight’s over in two rounds.”
McGregor has been inactive since a gruesome leg injury caused a TKO loss to Poirier at UFC 264. It was the latest setback for McGregor, whose attempts to re-enter the UFC as an active competitor have fallen flat. McGregor is 1-3 in his last four fights and is considered past his prime.
Still, McGregor’s star power is as strong as ever. The “Notorious” one is a coach on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Chandler. He is also slated to star alongside Jake Gyllenhall in a remake of the 1989 film Road House for Amazon Studios. His contributions to the film have also caused controversy.
After his injury, McGregor exited the USADA testing pools and gained a massive amount of muscle mass for the film. In recent months, McGregor lobbied for an exemption from USADA, which was repeatedly denied. McGregor and USADA confirmed that is behind them, and McGregor will comply with USADA testing protocols going forward.
Though McGregor vs. Chandler isn’t official, it will likely be one of the UFC’s final pay-per-views of 2023.
Dustin Poirier expects vintage Conor McGregor to return
McGregor has not been a full-time fighter in seven years. After stepping away from competitive MMA to pursue lucrative prospects, such as a boxing fight with Floyd Mayweather, McGregor only recently returned to the octagon.
The aforementioned losses and injuries are concerning. Chandler is stylistically a great fight for McGregor, but doubts remain if McGregor has anything left to offer after a long career. Poirier doesn’t doubt his former rival can run it back for a vintage performance.
“If he’s 100 percent dedicated and focused, and put the blinders on and really go at this with all of himself, I think he can. But we’ll see, man. That’s what makes it so interesting.”
Poirier remains a future target for McGregor, but he has business to attend in the coming months. “The Diamond” will be facing off in a rematch against Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 291.
