GDT: UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3

[m9]

I think the "Conor's power doesn't translate to 155" is overstated. It's kind of similar to the "Conor isn't a top 5 contender" anymore. It might be true, but I don't think there is really convincing evidence to support that it is true. I mean, it's only natural punches aren't going to affect bigger guys quite as much, but look at the guys he hasn't been able to KO.

Nate: has never been stopped due to punches despite taking some beatings throughout his career and it was at 170.
Poirier: even since moving up to LW, he is much bigger and durable than the guy that was KO'ed by Michael Johnson. He's been in some wars and has won them all.
Khabib: I'm not sure Conor really landed any clean shots on Khabib, and if he did, it would have been in the 3rd round after he had been dropped and pounded into the canvas for 5min.

Poirier said after both fights that Conor can punch. I think even Nate said he hits hard, just that it wasn't anything he hasn't felt before. I think it's still an open question whether he lands on some of these other guys what happens...except Gaethje. I think Gaethje eats them similarly to Poirier.


I also don't really get the discrediting the Eddie KO like he's some glass jawed schlub. Eddie had been fighting a long time and was only KO'ed once prior and it was 9 years before Conor. Eddie was also in 2 wars with Poirier and 1 with Gaethje AFTER Conor, so it's not like Conor got some damaged guy who couldn't take a punch anymore. Conor sat him down however many times in the first round and then finished him and made it look effortless.

I agree that there's still time to see if Conor can use his power effectively at 155lbs, I just think it's fair to say at this point that it hasn't done the damage that it did at 145lbs. Sure some of these 155 guys aren't easy to knockout, but neither were the guys he knocked out at 145lbs like Aldo, Poirier, or even someone like Dennis Siver. Even Mendes hadn't been finished by punches until the Conor fight. His power was basically unheard of for 145lbs, so saying it hasn't translated up the weight classes is still correct. I think there's a big difference between saying he doesn't have power vs that his power hasn't really translated.

As for Alvarez, I don't think anybody is discrediting that win as it was a great win. But Alvarez takes a lot of shots and the speed/power combo of Conor was always going to be an issue for Alvarez. It was just the ideal style matchup for Conor and there's nothing wrong with that.

As for Nate never being stopped by punches.. Josh Thomson might argue that, though obviously the kick did a bunch of the damage to start things off.

 

[CDJ]

guys a pretty great troll, I’ll give him that


He’ll end up with a McGregor fight eventually. That’s my prediction

 

[jcs0218]

Conor may or may not have power at 155 lbs. He may be able to land a fluke shot to win at 155 lbs.

But as an overall fighter, whether he has power or not, he is behind a lot of other guys at this point.

He is a one-trick pony and never evolved any other areas.

Other than his left hand striking ability, is there any other area that he is even average at?

He can't wrestle and doesn't have any special abilities on takedowns. He can't fight on the ground. He doesn't have any special abilities as a submission wrestler.

He has very poor stamina and conditioning, so he isn't going to be able to go for 5 rounds too often and win decisions.

When his left hand either isn't connecting or isn't working, what other tools does McGregor have in his toolbox?

 

[pistolpete11]

I agree that there's still time to see if Conor can use his power effectively at 155lbs, I just think it's fair to say at this point that it hasn't done the damage that it did at 145lbs. Sure some of these 155 guys aren't easy to knockout, but neither were the guys he knocked out at 145lbs like Aldo, Poirier, or even someone like Dennis Siver. Even Mendes hadn't been finished by punches until the Conor fight. His power was basically unheard of for 145lbs, so saying it hasn't translated up the weight classes is still correct. I think there's a big difference between saying he doesn't have power vs that his power hasn't really translated.

As for Alvarez, I don't think anybody is discrediting that win as it was a great win. But Alvarez takes a lot of shots and the speed/power combo of Conor was always going to be an issue for Alvarez. It was just the ideal style matchup for Conor and there's nothing wrong with that.

As for Nate never being stopped by punches.. Josh Thomson might argue that, though obviously the kick did a bunch of the damage to start things off.

I think his power at 145 is overstated, too, though. Poor Jeremy Stephens at that press conference wasn't entirely wrong when he said "This guy TKO's people..." He's really only KO'ed Aldo in his UFC career and that was largely due to Aldo fighting like an idiot and rushing at him, but people (including Conor) built it up like he had the touch of death in his left hand.

My point with Alvarez is that Eddie could take a punch, but Conor's power was still enough to (T)KO him.

As is everything with Conor it seems, everyone takes everything to the extreme. At 145, he was a hammer who just had to touch you. At 155/170, he's got pillow fists who can only KO guys like washed Cowboy or 'glass jaw' Alvarez. The truth is not at either of those extremes.



The head kick is what really hurt Nate against Thompson.

 

[m9]

I think his power at 145 is overstated, too, though. Poor Jeremy Stephens at that press conference wasn't entirely wrong when he said "This guy TKO's people..." He's really only KO'ed Aldo in his UFC career and that was largely due to Aldo fighting like an idiot and rushing at him, but people (including Conor) built it up like he had the touch of death in his left hand.

My point with Alvarez is that Eddie could take a punch, but Conor's power was still enough to (T)KO him.

As is everything with Conor it seems, everyone takes everything to the extreme. At 145, he was a hammer who just had to touch you. At 155/170, he's got pillow fists who can only KO guys like washed Cowboy or 'glass jaw' Alvarez. The truth is not at either of those extremes.

The head kick is what really hurt Nate against Thompson.

I don't see why it really matters if it's a TKO or KO - he's been using his power/punching to finish fights his entire career up until his last few fights. We're talking 145lbs, you can't be expecting walkoffs every fight.

 

[pistolpete11]

I don't see why it really matters if it's a TKO or KO - he's been using his power/punching to finish fights his entire career up until his last few fights. We're talking 145lbs, you can't be expecting walkoffs every fight.

It's a different level shot to put a guy out cold vs. to knock him down and then keep punching him until the ref steps in.

I'm just saying his power got over hyped by some. He has a ton of power. Just not enough to KO a couple of guys who have shown to be extremely durable (including Max at 145). To say he can't KO some of these other 155ers like he did to Eddie because he couldn't KO Poirier or Khabib at 155 is a mistake IMO, especially with how those fights went.

 

[SuperScript29]

It's a different level shot to put a guy out cold vs. to knock him down and then keep punching him until the ref steps in.

I'm just saying his power got over hyped by some. He has a ton of power. Just not enough to KO a couple of guys who have shown to be extremely durable (including Max at 145). To say he can't KO some of these other 155ers like he did to Eddie because he couldn't KO Poirier or Khabib at 155 is a mistake IMO, especially with how those fights went.

Although it's a small sample size, but Khabib and Poirier are big LWs, Alvarez not so much. Connor was a big sized 145er but at LW there are a lot of guys that are bigger than him. He uses his distance well but if that doesn't work and those bigger guys get closer for a takedown, he's screwed.

 

[Egg]

It's a different level shot to put a guy out cold vs. to knock him down and then keep punching him until the ref steps in.

I disagree.

To touch someone, and give them the stanky leg, is a sign of above average power.

We are talking a non flush punch landing here. Obviously if you touch someone's chin clearly and they didn't see it coming, you could knock someone out at any weight class.

Heavyweights are a different animal. At this weight, they touch you, and your lights go out.

Connor McGregor has dynamite in his hands.

What hurts him, is that just like Ngannou. Neutralize the threat, and grind him on the ground, and he wears out and is harmless in later rounds.

The book is out on him. He has never sharpened any other weapons.

Ngannou did his, and knocked Miocic out in their second fight.

I see zero adjustments for Connor.

His power is there. But when everyone is savvy about it and avoid it, its very hard to hit someone clean.

 

[CDJ]

I think Gaethje hits the hardest at 155


Also people don’t really talk about him a ton yet but Fiziev can crack

 

[pistolpete11]

I think Gaethje hits the hardest at 155


Also people don’t really talk about him a ton yet but Fiziev can crack

I hope we get Oliveira-Poirier and Gaethje-Chandler, Poirier and Gaethje win, and then we get Poirier-Gaethje 2 for the belt. I don't want either of those guys to lose, but that would be a hell of a rematch.

 

[CDJ]

I hope we get Oliveira-Poirier and Gaethje-Chandler, Poirier and Gaethje win, and then we get Poirier-Gaethje 2 for the belt. I don't want either of those guys to lose, but that would be a hell of a rematch.

would be so sick, especially with the improvements Gaethje has made since his wars with Alvarez/Dustin

I think it would be one of those all-timers ppl talk about for a decade

 

[chicagoskycam]

Chandler will be an interesting match-up for Gaethje... they both hit pretty hard.

 

[pistolpete11]

Chandler will be an interesting match-up for Gaethje... they both hit pretty hard.

Gaethje has a chin and hits pretty hard himself. I'd lean towards Gaethje pretty significantly, but it would still be a great fight.

 

[Blue Line Turnover]

It's sad to see how much cheating Conor has resorted to in his last few matchups (Khabib and Dustin #2); the glove grabbing, pulling on shorts, elbows to the back of the head, cage grabbing, etc.

 

[jcs0218]

Look at his eyes. Pupils completely dilated.

 

[CDJ]

As John McCarthy and Josh Thomson said….the titanium bar isn’t gonna feel as good as he thinks it will when he kicks lol

 

[chicagoskycam]

I'd be really surprised if Conor comes back after a year. I think during the time off he will come to his senses and start doing something else.

 

[darko]

I'd be really surprised if Conor comes back after a year. I think during the time off he will come to his senses and start doing something else.

WWE.

 

[jcs0218]

WWE.

That is where I see things eventually going.

Too bad CM Punk isn't in WWE anymore, because a Punk vs. McGregor WWE rivalry would be pretty entertaining.

 

[crazychimp]

I'll just leave this here..

 

[CDJ]

lol wtf

 

[YNWA14]

A plethora of casual, “only watch the big fights” fans in here. I see it’s becoming “cool” to hate McGregor to feel moral superiority.

If he wants to fight again he is a top 3-5 guy in this division and can compete with them all.

I’m not even a huge Conor fan but respect the sport enough to not talk about it if you’re just gonna regurgitate Stephen a smith takes. To say he can’t compete in the top 10 or “would have lost anyway” is just showing blatant lack of knowledge and respect for the sport

This is absolute nonsense.