Dustin Poirier reacts after his knockout victory over Conor McGregor of Ireland in a lightweight fight during the UFC 257 event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Dustin Poirier used a ton of kicks on Conor McGregor to defeat his rival at UFC 257
Dustin Poirier is the man of the moment in the UFC after he defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 257.
The Diamond made it 1-1 in their series but everyone has been asking about the kicks he used to damage his rival.
McGregor was seen hobbling after the fight and even was needing crutches to walk. The Irishman even joked that Poirier had broken his leg but it seems that was just in the heat of the moment.
Ariel Helwani asked Poirier about the leg kicks and whether he was surprised that McGregor wasn’t checking them.
Poirier didn’t believe that McGregor wanted to check them but he also spoke about how devastating these kicks were:
“I know from experience how bad those things hurt. Once that thing starts swelling and once you start feeling the pain from that, even when you check, it hurts.
“That is one of the most painful injuries I have ever had when I fought Jim Miller, he was calf kicking me and it was a three round fight.
“So I knew if I kept adding them up, I was making deposits and they were going to pay off.”
The Diamond then opened up and claimed that he wanted to be an MMA star in the Octagon. There was no set plan to kick McGregor’s legs but he wanted to do whatever was available.
Poirier was going to punch, kick and show off his entire arsenal. “Chip away” was his mantra and he used his opportunity well when it came.
Poirier is claiming to be the uncrowned champion but is going to take it easy for now. This might have been the biggest win of his career and he wants the title fight to come to him.
The Diamond isn’t chasing anyone and it will be interesting to see who his next rival is.
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