A painful end for Conor McGregor in his third and much-discussed fight against American Dustin Poirier. McGregor broke his shin and lost the match.
It went wrong towards the end of the first round. The shocking footage shows McGregor’s ankle bending all over, but the Irish MMA fighter didn’t want to stop the fight. ”This isn’t over yet. If we have to finish it outside, I’ll do it,” he said, still sitting on the floor in the corner of the cage.
McGregor and Porier are old rivals. It was the third time the men have faced each other in a duel and the second time that Poirier has been declared the winner.
“The run-up to this fight was incredibly spectacular,” says martial arts journalist Giovanni Tjin. “That is partly due to the typical provocation of McGregor: he made it quite personal by, among other things, insulting Poirier’s wife.”
McGregor is the biggest star in the MMA world. Last year he was the highest-paid athlete in the world. “He’s hugely popular,” Tjin says. ”People think it’s funny how he manages to frustrate his opponents by trash-talking them. Not everyone agrees with the way he behaves, but he has made the sport a lot bigger.”
McGregor will soon undergo surgery for his injury. Poirier will face current champion Charles Oliveira in a title fight. Tjin expects that it is not quite finished between McGregor and Poirier. “This is not a nice way to end. For both the winner and the loser. Plus, it’s a good way for the UFC to take their story even further.”
The sporting event took place in a packed arena in Las Vegas. Many celebrities, including former President Donald Trump, attended.
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