5 surprises we can expect Conor McGregor to spring on Dustin Poirier at UFC 264

#4 Checking and countering

Dustin Poirier attacks Conor McGregor's leg. [Photo courtesy: UFC's YouTube channel]

Conor McGregor's downfall started with Dustin Poirier's calf kicks and his failure to defend against them. By the second round, McGregor's mobility and explosiveness had clearly been hampered, with his lead leg tremendously damaged and rendered useless.

On top of that, Poirier did an excellent job staying unpredictable, mixing up his barrage of calf kicks with level changes and power shots. He also prevented McGregor from using his most powerful weapon – the left counterpunch – by not committing to his jab.

Not knowing what's coming next, McGregor opened himself up to a world of danger. At UFC 264, though, the Irishman will have the benefit of having himself familiarized with Poirier's offense.

A low calf kick is a difficult strike to defend against as it inflicts damage even when checked. That said, there are a few Muay Thai techniques McGregor would find useful to prevent a repeat of UFC 257 from happening.

#3 Conor McGregor's alter ego, 'Mystic Mac,' returns

Conor McGregor is also known as 'Mystic Mac' for his uncanny ability to make detailed predictions that unfold in real life. The former two-division champion previously turned in a prediction about how he believes his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier will go down. On Instagram, the Irishman posted a photo of himself practicing a front kick with a prediction laid out in the caption.

This isn't the first time McGregor has channeled his prophetic talents in a fight against 'The Diamond'. The Dublin native predicted an early stoppage against Poirier in their first go-round at UFC 178 and followed through with a TKO win at the 1:46 mark of the opening round.

For McGregor to pull off his prediction, he would have to do something only a handful of fighters have achieved. Anderson Silva, Travis Browne, Ben Alloway, and Lyoto Machida (who did it twice) are the only fighters in UFC history to have scored finishes with a front kick.