MMA

Dustin Poirier predicts McGregor vs Chandler to be over in two rounds

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier does not see the upcoming fight between ex-two-division champion Conor McGregor and former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler going the distance.

Having fought McGregor thrice in the past, winning two of them by stoppage, and having beaten Chandler by submission in his last outing this past November, Poirier understands firsthand what both fighters bring to the table.

"If Conor comes back to anything like he was with his timing and rhythm, with the injury that he had and this long of a layoff, and we’re not getting any younger either—if he comes back similar to who he was before he left, I think he stops Michael Chandler," Poirier told MMA Hour.

Poirier and McGregor first fought in 2014 where the Irish fighter emerged victorious by way of first-round technical knockout. They fought again in 2021 and Poirier evened the score with a second-round KO which was McGregor's first defeat via stoppage.

They faced off for the third time almost six months later in a fight that ended by technical knockout after McGregor suffered a leg injury in the first round. Though Poirier has the advantage over McGregor in their match-ups, he remains a believer in the latter's fighting prowess.

"If Conor is who he was before the injury and stuff, I think two rounds. I think the fight is over in two rounds," Poirier quipped.

McGregor and Chandler are currently working as coaches in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. The date and venue of their upcoming showdown are yet to be announced.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News