The first time they fought, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier had a lot of bad blood. This time around, it seems that things are very different, as they were both respectful at the UFC 257 pre-fight press conference.
People have been saying for a while, that this rematch between McGregor and Poirier was basically a new fight and very different than their first encounter. Largely this was due to how both men have grown in skills since their 2014 clash.
Another reason for that is the apparent maturity of both men over the years. This was most relevant for Poirier, who admitted to letting Conor’s trash talk get the best of him at the time, but is not letting that happen this time around.
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Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier Show Respect
With the current state of the world, there have been very few opportunities for drama ahead of UFC 257. However even when Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier came face-to-face at the pre-fight press conference, they were still respectful.
In fact, Conor even told Dustin that he would love to try some of Dustin’s new hot sauce brand. So in response the pair agreed to trade hot sauce for Proper 12 whiskey after their fight.
“You’ve got the hot sauce Dustin,” McGregor said. “I’d love to taste the hot sauce.”
“I’ve got a bottle for you,” Poirier responded.
“I’d appreciate that. I’ve got a bottle of Proper for you. I’d love to share that,” McGregor replied. “He’s putting in the work. I’ve been highly impressed. I think the whole business has been highly impressed.
“After that loss many, many years ago, he rose up, became champion. He’s given so much back. I’m honored to share this Octagon with this man. I know we have that competitive fire and it’s still there.
“There’s no denying that we have a clash, and it’s going to be a good, firework filled bout. But the respect is admirable for me.”
On top of that, it seems that McGregor and his team have reached out to donate money to Poirier’s Good Fight Foundation. Dustin did not say what kind of donation it was, but he was eager to put it to good use.
“I don’t want to make it seem like we’re up here giving each other back massages, but I just want to clear the air,” Poirier said. “Conor’s team, McGregor Sports and Entertainment, did reach out to my foundation and they are starting the donation to the Good Fight Foundation.
“So Conor, man to man, you’re going to help a lot of people with that.”
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Potential Run-In With Khabib Was No Problem
While both Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are on Fight Island preparing for war, lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov was there as well. With he and Conor being such bitter rivals, there was concern about what could happen if they crossed paths.
In the end this did not happen, despite a pretty close call. However if it did happen, Conor said there would not have been a problem. The only way he would try fighting Khabib outside a cage again is if the champ does not compete again.
“All of those events were 2018, it’s now 2021. What I will say is, as long as we fight again, there’ll be no issue and that’s it. If he continues to run, we’ll see what happens,” McGregor said.
It is a nice change of pace that Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor do not have bad blood ahead of their UFC 257 rematch. With his comments about Khabib, it seems that Conor is doing his best to put bad blood behind him altogether.
