The biggest fight of the year ended in unfortunate circumstances at UFC 264 tonight when Conor McGregor broke either his leg in a freak accident at the end of the first round, leading to a TKO win for Dustin Poirier by doctor’s stoppage.
Round One:
The main event trilogy fight is underway in Las Vegas!
Spinning kick to the body from McGregor to start misses. Leg kick from McGregor. Another leg kick for McGregor and then a front kick to the body. He lands a punch too.
Poirier with a kick. Calf kick for McGregor, but then Poirier lands a heavier one of his own.
McGregor with another low kick. Front kick to the body from Poirier. Poirier lands a clean punch down the pipe, McGregor counters and then Poirier lands another straight hard.
Poirier drives into a takedown attempt against the cage. McGregor cinching up a guillotine choke attempt and drops down with it.
Poirier stays calm and McGregor’s grip starts to weaken and eventually he has to give up on it. poirier now settling on top with over two minutes in the opening round remaining.
Poirier with an elbow strike as he works from full guard. McGregor able to land a number of elbows to the head unanswered there.
Now Poirier unloads with a big series of powerful elbows. Big right hand lands for Poirier. McGregor works an upkick as Poirier was separated.
Poirier back down on him and throwing heavy leather. McGregor with an upkick. Soon after he lands another, but Poirier takes it and starts throwing big ground and pound again.
Towards the final 10 seceonds McGregor battles back to his feet and lands a leg kick then they both look to land a punch. McGregor staggers back and falls to the mat grimacing in pain.
Oh no, McGregor’s broken his leg! Replays show both men threw a punch that missed, but then McGregor’s back foot landed very awkwardly afterwards and his leg snapped badly.
What a crazy way to end such a highly anticipated fight. Nevertheless, Poirier emerges with a TKO stoppage at the end of the first round via doctor’s stoppage.
In his post-fight interview Poirier claims that he checked a leg kick earlier in the fight and surmises that he may have fractured McGregor’s leg at that point, which would later lead to the leg giving out completely, and that’s certainly a possibility.
Remarkably, despite his leg break, McGregor also gives an in-cage interview post-fight while still on the canvas in which he yells at Poirier that their feud is not over and vows to fight him again, while also refuting his claim about the checked leg kick.
It’s very likely that we will see this fight again at some stage, but certainly not any time soon given the extent of McGregor’s injury, so it seems likely that Poirier now will go on to fight Charles Oliveira for the title.
From what we did see of the action tonight though, Poirier will have even more reason to feel confident as he was able to get McGregor to the mat and land big punches in that first round. However, sadly we’ll never know what might have happened next in the second round due that freak accident.
