Connor McGregor’s Unexpected Upset

The UFC fighter Connor McGregor is known for his success. Only having lost five times in his career, winning has become the usual for him. Weighing in at 155 pounds, the five foot nine feet tall Irish martial artist and boxer is dominant in his lightweight division. Known as “The Notorious”, McGregor fights mostly as a striker. And although he often switches to an orthodox stance, he primarily fights as a southpaw.

On Jan. 23, McGregor was prepared to face off against Dustin Poirier. But with a record of only twenty five wins and seven losses, McGregor was heavily favored to win this fight. He had previously fought Poirier in September of 2014, with a quick knockout in just 106 seconds, unsurprising during his early career success. But due to McGregor’s long term inactivity in the ring, this recent fight went much differently than expected. Despite Poirier being seen as an underdog, he had come to win, and McGregor’s rustiness seemed to put Poirier at an advantage.

Beginning the fight, McGregor seemed to be giving his opponent a hard time. But Porier was able to keep till the next round, where he then quickly landed a series of shots to the head, along with some solid kicks to McGregor’s legs. As McGregor began to tire, Poirier landed a well-timed left hand, stunning him, and followed up with a series of several well placed punches, leaving McGregor on the ground. The fight concluded as a second round TKO, making Poirier the first man in MMA history to knock out Connor McGregor.