Conor McGregor can beat Dustin Poirier in the first round next weekend at UFC 264, or at least that’s one of the picks by former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib Nurmagomedov sees similarities in McGregor/Poirer II and III
Nurmagomedov, who retired unbeaten after 29 fights and has wins over both men, told UFC Russia he thinks McGregor wins the third installment of the rivalry if he can take care of business early. But if the fight goes into a second or third round? The door is wide open for Poirier.
“It’s the same thing as the previous fight,” Khabib said. “If it’s a first round finish, I’d back Conor. From the second and further, then Dustin wins.”
“The Eagle” retired in March after forfeiting the lightweight title in January to honor a promise to his mother, following the death of his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov last year due to COVID-19 complications.
The 32-year-old said he definitely misses the octagon but has no plans to return to fighting.
For now, he’s focused on mentoring fast-rising lightweight star Islam Makhachev, who has a main event matchup with Thiago Moises the week after UFC 264.
UFC 264 takes play July 10 inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will air exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
–Field Level Media
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