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Conor McGregor's longtime boxing coach at the Crumlin Boxing Club, Phil Sutcliffe has claimed that the former two-division UFC champion has way better boxing skills than Dustin Poirier.
Sutcliffe is a two-time boxing Olympian and began coaching Conor McGregor since he was ten years old. Now, ahead of McGregor's much-anticipated rematch against Poirier at UFC 257, the pair have reunited again. UFC 257 takes place on January 23 at the Yas Islands in Abu Dhabi.
Since losing to Conor McGregor at UFC 178 back in 2014, Poirier picked up six knockout wins inside the octagon. He finished the likes of former champion Eddie Alvarez and former interim champ Justin Gaethje. However, Sutcliffe wasn't impressed by Poirier's performances.
In a recent interview with TheMacLife, Sutcliffe hailed Poirier's stamina and durability but remained dismissive of The Diamond's boxing skills. He believes that Conor McGregor is technically superior to Poirier and more powerful now than when the pair first fought each other. Sutcliffe promised that the Irishman would once again dominate in the rematch.
“Skill-wise, no. Toughness, yes. I know Conor knocked him early, but Conor’s (got) too much boxing ability. Poirier comes straight at you, his arms are wide open. Conor will be able to get his shots or his kicks or anything in there like he did the last time. Conor’s more powerful now and so will the other guy be a little more powerful because he’s had to put on a bit of weight. But Conor’s skill’s percentage towards Poirier’s skill percentage is much bigger. Conor hits very, very hard, but precise with technique. He hits with precision.”
Is Conor McGregor the best boxer in the UFC?
Conor McGregor's boxing skills are second to none in the UFC. The Irishman has 19 knockout wins in his career and has boxed arguably the greatest boxer on the planet, Floyd Mayweather Jr., back in 2017. Contrary to popular opinion, McGregor performed well against Mayweather, especially considering it was the Irishman's first dance inside the boxing ring.
McGregor had some excellent moments in the fight's opening stages, and Floyd only stopped him in Round 10. His performance garnered praise and respect from the world of combat sports. McGregor previously expressed the desire to fight Manny Pacquiao in an exhibition boxing match following the fight against Poirier.
