Most would assume a trilogy fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor would end the same way as the first two, but strength coach Phil Daru is expecting a different outcome this time.
Poirier will meet McGregor in trilogy fight that will headline the upcoming UFC 264 pay-per-view event taking place July 10 in Las Vegas.
Although not officially announced, both fighters have signed their respective contracts with an announcement imminent.
The first fight, of course, ended with McGregor getting the first-round knockout back in their 2014 featherweight clash. The rematch in January saw Poirier get revenge as he earned a second-round knockout win in their UFC 257 lightweight headliner.
This time? Daru is expecting the trilogy to last longer with his student in Poirier ultimately getting the submission win late on.
“For me, personally, I feel like he’s going to submit him this time,” Daru said on The Schmozone Podcast. “I think Conor is definitely going to make changes, definitely going to look out for the calf kicks and change his stance a little bit there.
“But I think at the end of the day, [Dustin] is going to set that pace, drag him into that deep water and ultimately get that submission.”
McGregor Prone To Submission Defeats
There’s no doubt that the longer the fight goes, the more it favors Poirier who has the superior cardio and overall game.
And given that four of McGregor’s five losses in mixed martial arts have come as a result of him tapping, it definitely wouldn’t be a surprise if Poirier was able to submit him, especially considering he managed to take the Irishman down in the first round of their rematch.
Whether he will actually do it remains to be seen.