This past Saturday night July 19th, the UFC Fight Night series featured Conor McGregor‘s big KO of Diego Brandao in his home country of Ireland. It was a triumphant ending to a UFC that put Irish fighters at the forefront, and McGregor showed he could put on a show in front of a rabid following. Though he was heavily favored heading into the match, McGregor’s solid outing means his star continues to skyrocket in the UFC Featherweight division.
McGregor had done a lot of talking before the fight, and the Irish crowd responded fervently. The match with Brandao was only his 3rd outing in the UFC’s octagon, and being the main event in his home country certainly comes with a bit of pressure. Well, McGregor not only lived up to the hype, he thrived in the atmosphere and build-up before the fight, and this leaves people uttering the world ‘star’.
What may be next for McGregor is a date with Dustin Poirier, another young, rising star that has garnered quite a bit of attention. Poirier would easily be the most dangerous opponent that McGregor has faced, and he has made no bones about calling McGregor out in the media.
Both have solid records (Poirier 16-3, McGregor 15-2) and both are prospects in their mid-twenties. Interestingly, the two have a common opponent in Brandao, and both men took out the veteran Brazilian in the opening round.
When the two meet, Poirier will have a few distinct advantages and on paper, he has more ways to finish a fight in his arsenal than the heavy handed McGregor. Poirier also has a wide experience advantage in the UFC, as his now 8-2 overall record in the organization shows. He went into the 4th round in his loss to Chan Sung Jung and he went the full distance with Cub Swanson, who is now on the verge of a title shot. This is a far stronger competition level than McGregor has faced.
But the one thing McGregor showed in this last outing was that he can rise to the occasion. And with his new found popularity and core Irish following, it could be that the line emerges with McGregor coming in as the favorite.
