Dustin Poirier on his mindset ahead of Conor McGregor bout: “I just want to outsmart him”

After six long years, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor will face each other again at UFC 257 in January and The Diamond claims that it's going to be a completely different fight this time around. In their first bout, which took place in the featherweight division at UFC 178 in 2014, McGregor knocked Poirier out in the first round. However, much has changed since then as the two have now found success in the lightweight division.

Since their last fight, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor have lost only two fights each and have held gold at the 155lbs division. While McGregor claimed the undisputed lightweight title, Poirier got his hands on the interim strap. Both the fighters have also won their previous bouts, with The Diamond defeating Dan Hooker in June and Conor McGregor besting Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout in January.

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McGregor vs Poirier: Dustin Poirier on the Conor McGregor bout

While talking to MMA Junkie, Dustin Poirier praised Conor McGregor but claimed that The Notorious One will have a hard time taking him down. He said he’s an experienced fighter now and would try to “outsmart” McGregor in the bout. He concluded by saying that he doesn’t hate McGregor, but “this is business” and he’ll do anything to win.

“I was emotional in the first one. I wanted to hurt the guy. This time I just want to outsmart him, just want to beat him. This is business. This isn’t any ill will towards the guy,” he added.

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McGregor vs Poirier: Conor McGregor vows to defeat Dustin Poirier

Despite this, Conor McGregor is still confident he’ll defeat the former interim champion with ease. While talking to fans earlier on Twitter, McGregor hailed Dustin Poirier as a tough opponent but claimed he’ll try and finish the fight quicker than their initial bout, which ended in less than two minutes. “I will aim to not only improve on the time I beat him in previously but the shot I slept him with also! Poirier is a hell of a fighter, but I’m McGregor,” the Irishman wrote on Twitter.

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Image Source: AP, UFC Instagram