UFC 264: Dan Hardy on if McGregor fails to finish Poirier

The anticipation grows more dense by the minute as we edge closer to the rubber match between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. With less than a week left until a fight that promises fireworks, technical expert Dan Hardy gave his breakdown of the trilogy fight in an interview with Submission Radio.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is backing his arch rival Conor McGregor for a victory at UFC 264, only if the Irishman is able to get the job done inside the first round. 👀#UFC264 #UFC pic.twitter.com/IqrQfJz0jk
— Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) June 30, 2021

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When asked whether the fight will turn in Poirier's favor if it goes beyond two rounds, Dan Hardy said:

"Yeah, I think so. And I think a big part will be the psychological hurdle for him [Conor McGregor], because in those first ten minutes, that's when Conor is most dangerous with his left hand... really, in the first five minutes. If Poirier can be cautious and stay away from that, like he did in the rematch, punish him when he comes in, right...?"

Dan Hardy explains how Conor McGregor shifts ranges

Dan Hardy went on to break down Conor McGregor's various striking ranges and the arsenal particular to each range. He said:

"Conor has got ranges which he shifts through. The longest range is his wide kicking range. You know, the taekwondo range. Then he moves into a shorter kicking range. We've seen that in the Chad Mendes fight, we saw it against Nate Diaz, where he chops into the legs and he pokes the midsetion with his side kick and his front kick. Past that, he starts to transition into the left hand - the left-hand counters or the left-hand attacks. If that starts to fall short, he starts going for that kind of lead screw uppercut."

The lack of Conor McGregor's kicks and shifting ranges was more than evident in his rematch against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. Dan Hardy went on to explain how Dustin Poirier was able to counter with right hooks when Conor McGregor attempted to throw the left hand and right uppercut.

Furthermore, Hardy said that Poirier's ability to do so only harmed Conor McGregor's lead leg further as the right hook pushed all of McGregor's weight onto it.

Itsss fight week! Bring back the loose Conor who throws head kicks front stomps etc similar to the Alvarez fight and it’s a @TheNotoriousMMA win. He keeps this boxing stance and it’s a clear @DustinPoirier win. Bring home the trilogy Conor! The king is back! #UFC264 https://t.co/8E6BPRchOJ
— lauren moore (@laaurenmoore94) July 5, 2021

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So, as was established immediately after UFC 257, Conor McGregor will need to revitalize his entire arsenal to exact revenge against Dustin Poirier.

Dan Hardy's final say about the 'which round it ends in' debate

Providing his final say on how the fight may go, Dan Hardy said:

"I think the longer this fight goes, the better it looks for Dustin. And I think if he's smart in those first two rounds and just allows McGregor to work and maybe to punch himself out a bit, as soon as he walks out of the corner for the third round, he's going to feel like this fight is practically in the back, because this is where he comes into his own. I think, if we see the third round, it's Poirier's fight."

However, Dan Hardy did go on to say that he is leaning towards Conor McGregor to get the W, simply because the Irishman has a knack for shining under pressure.