Dana White attends a news conference for the bout between boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor at the KA Theatre at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on August 23, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather and McGregor will meet in a super welterweight boxing match at T-Mobile Arena on August 26 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Conor McGregor grilled by Dana White for his attitude going into UFC 257 against Dustin Poirier
Dana White has raised question marks over Conor McGregor for his attitude almost three weeks after his UFC 257 loss to Dustin Poirier.
‘The Notorious One’ lost comprehensively to ‘The Diamond’ via TKO in round 2. This was, of course, their second meeting in the promotion.
Earlier, the Irishman beat the American in a UFC 178 bout more than 6 years ago in 2014. Back then, things were different.
And while talking on ESPN MMA, UFC’s president thinks that McGregor did not take Poirier seriously because of his previous win against him.
“If you look at the way [McGregor] fought, the leg kicks that he was eating, the stance he was in, he was completely overlooking Dustin Poirier.”
White questioned the effect of the grand lifestyle that McGregor is living on his fighting. He highlights the fact that he should have been more focused and respectful towards Poirier’s skills before the bell.
“I’m not taking anything away from Poirier, but when you pull in [to Yas Island] on a super yacht and you’re living the life that Conor lives, you need to be hungry and you need to take every guy seriously.
“It doesn’t matter how you beat Dustin Poirier the first time, that’s not the same guy you are going to be facing and obviously, Dustin Poirier is training like it is the most important fight of his life.”
Now those are some harsh words, but they are not wrong. McGregor could have retired years back and would have had the same legacy, if not better.
And it is understandable that he has dropped off in the past few fights. No fighter can perform at their highest level forever. But McGregor’s preparation for the fight does raise a lot of questions.
He was taking the leg kicks pretty brutally and his counters were ineffective. That made all the difference in the end and had he prepared for that beforehand, maybe the outcome would have been different.
Nevertheless, as White himself says, this would mean that McGregor is hungrier than ever for the trilogy bout; if it does take place, that is.
Follow our dedicated UFC page for instant UFC news and updates