With Khabib Nurmagomedov out of the picture, the future of the UFC’s lightweight division is bright again. Khabib is a star himself but really got away from his trash talk and exciting fight promotion after fighting Conor McGregor. He retired a few months ago and there is a lot of speculation that he will return, but this is unlikely.
Khabib will not return to fight Porier who he tapped out in two rounds with no difficulty. Unless Conor has a stunning grappling display against Porier, Khabib will also not be very enticed. This leaves Conor and Porier to battle for the top spot in the promotion. If not this one, the winner’s next bout will be a for a world title.
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Poirier’s Resurrection
Given the result of their first fight, it is hard to think McGregor will lose. Many talk about how much better Porier has gotten as if McGregor has made no improvements at all in the last six years. Yes, Porier does finally look like a polished diamond out the rough, but his chin is still not great and he has been hit hard so many times throughout his career.
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Analyst after analyst mentions Porier’s newfound durability at Lightweight, as if it has made him indestructible at 155. However, Michael Johnson melted him just 3 years ago. Conor McGregor has better striking and more power than Johnson, and fighting Porier years after being hit hundreds of more times will only work in Conor’s favor. With that said, Porier still has great hands and deserves to be standing across from Conor more than any other Lightweight right now.
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Conor McGregor: the Show Stopper
More importantly than the winner is what the fans have to gain from a McGregor victory. They will again get to here a fighter cut promos that are worth listening to. Press conferences will seem like real events again, and even more we get to hear the Irish fans cheer him on. His fans easily account for 35% of the excitement of watching him compete.
If you have never had the pleasure of hearing Irish-born fanfare you are missing out on quite a show. They almost form make shift parades at the local bars of whatever town Conor fights in. There are Irish flags everywhere, shouting is ubiquitous and the songs they sing seem that much more appealing when they are supporting the pride of their nation.
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There’s only one Conor McGregor. He changed the sport and with a victory Saturday will put the sport and the division back in its rightful spotlight. This fight is essentially a “why should we care” fight for American fans. A brutal loss by Conor could be devastating to his brand as well as the leagues.
If you like to gamble, avoid this one as it is still a tough fight for Conor. But if he wins on Saturday, bet big money on his next three fights because every single one of those Lightweights is going night night.
