Weight Class: Featherweight The decisions stop here. Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor has turned into a hotly anticipated grudge match thanks to the Irish superstar McGregor being the best self-promoter since Chael Sonnen. McGregor (15-2), at just 26 years old, has a huge upside, and also has the ability to back up his talk in the ring. He's fresh off a huge performance at UFC Fight Night: Dublin, where he called his shot and finished Diego Brandao in the first round. Against Poirier (16-3), he's looking to finish in the first as well, but McGregor can also go the distance. He's managed to get under Poirier's skin with a combination of name calling (pea-head, of all things) and belittling the fighter's skill level, and on top of that, the UFC's treatment of McGregor - setting him up in the presidential suite of his hotel, constant promotion, bonuses etc. - seem to have sparked his ire. While a riled up fighter is also a dangerous one, McGregor has the slight edge here. He's fought up in weight before and is a big featherweight; he has knockout power and is more than capable of finishing fights. Poirier will be the Irish fighter's toughest test to date, but we're betting that he can surpass the challenge. If he can, he'll be in Brazil to watch the championship bout between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, which tells you how much faith the UFC brass have in McGregor. McGregor by TKO, round two.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
