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Retired UFC welterweight and MMA analyst Dan Hardy has posted an Instagram video to debunk a popular theory about Conor McGregor’s gameplan following his TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in their much-anticipated rematch at UFC 257. The viral post shared by combatalk compares McGregor’s fighting stance in the Dustin Poirier and Eddie Alvarez fights. It makes an argument that McGregor was able to control the range better in the Alvarez fight with a karate stance. It allowed him to get in and out of his opponent’s kicking range, making Conor less vulnerable to leg kicks, which played a significant role in his loss to Dustin Poirier.
“This image circulating the internet needs some clarification. It’s not taking into account many elements of the fight, and perceived gameplans for both individuals… If the gameplan turns out to be incorrect, it doesn’t mean the theory behind it is necessarily incorrect also,” reads the caption of Dan Hardy’s video.
Dan Hardy is UFC's colour commentator and a known figure in MMA analysis. He was one of the few experts who predicted that leg kicks could be a key to victory for Dustin Poirier, who lost to McGregor in their first meeting back in 2014 via first-round knockout. In the Instagram video, Dan Hardy drew attention to the fact that McGregor's gameplan in the Dustin Poirier rematch and Eddie Alvarez fight resulted from his opponent's stance and vulnerabilities stemming from it. It wasn't necessarily due to a decline in Conor's abilities, who has now lost two of his last three fights in MMA.
“It's just not correct. What was being missed is that in one fight he was facing Eddie Alvarez who's an orthodox fighter fighting a southpaw. So McGregor's standing heavy on the rear leg and he's using his lead hand to control the lead hand of Eddie Alvarez because he wants him to throw the right (hand)... In the Poirier fight, he's (McGregor) facing a southpaw. So he's leaning over to his lead leg as if to bait Poirier to throw a jab so he can counter over the jab. It is a gameplan I assume Conor took to put pressure on Poirier right away... Not because he was being lazy about cutting his range down," explained Dan Hardy.
Fighting is a complex art, and not all the fighting-related information that comes our way is backed by facts or a real understanding of it. Dan Hardy has separated the grain from the chaff and put this one to an end.
Dustin Poirier’s win over Conor McGregor last weekend came as a surprise for many, and it has automatically set the stage for a trilogy fight as both fighters now hold a KO/TKO win over each other.
