Famed Tristar Gym coach Firas Zahabi has outlined Conor McGregor’s path to victory in his upcoming trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, saying the Irishman must land a “kill shot.”
McGregor will attempt to avenge his January KO loss to Poirier when the duo face off in a rubber match at UFC 264 on July 10.
“The Notorious” is predictably confident going into the fight, having vowed to “f**king destroy” Poirer. And going by his tweet Thursday, it looks like the Irishman’s preparations have been free from all those distractions, which many speculated were partly responsible for his first-ever KO loss in January.
“I’ll be back in a few weeks my sweetheart. Just going to bust a man up. Tell the kids daddy loves them,” tweeted McGregor alongside a photo in which he’s standing shirtless next to his luxury yacht and Ferrari.
It’s unclear whether “The Notorious” was delivering this heartfelt message to his wife, his yacht, or Ferrari.
Firas Zahabi Lays Down What Conor McGregor Must Do To Win
McGregor’s luxurious lifestyle of fast cars and mega yachts notwithstanding, many fans and pundits laid the blame for his January KO loss chiefly on his inability to check Poirier’s leg kicks, which so tenderized the Irishman’s lead leg that he left the arena in crutches.
Firas Zahabi, famous for coaching Georges St. Pierre to arguable GOAT status, shares this view. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he says that McGregor’s first priority in his upcoming bout with Poirier must be evading the American’s leg kicks, then, landing a KO.
“I think [McGregor] needs to, number one, take the leg kicks off the table. I hope for him he is training around the clock not to get leg kicked,” said Zahabi (h/t RT.com). “Then after that, he has to keep the volume low. He doesn’t have to throw as many punches as Poirier. He has to keep the volume low. He has 25 minutes to get a kill shot or he most likely loses a decision … if he gets into a trench war with Poirier, I think Poirier’s going to win. In my opinion, this is a 50-50 fight.”
In facing southpaw Poirier, McGregor faces a tough task in evading his leg kicks, however, says Zahabi.
“The three things I think Conor McGregor needs to do to win: one, take the leg kicks off the table. He’s fighting a southpaw, that’s going to be a tricky thing. He hasn’t fought many southpaws in his career, so you have that power leg kick that’s usually not there when two fighters are in an open stance. Two, he’s got to control the volume. He doesn’t have to try to keep up with Poirier in the pocket. If Poirier lands ten shots to five, I wouldn’t be worried for Conor. Conor’s going to win via kill shot, knockout, or he’s going to lose via decision.”
What do you think? Will Conor McGregor be able to land a “kill shot” on Dustin Poirier at UFC 264?
