Despite Loss, Conor McGregor Says He’s on ‘The Correct Path for Evolution’ After UFC 257

Conor McGregor seems to believe he’s in a good place even after his second-round knockout loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.

The former UFC two-division champion authored a lengthy post on Instagram Wednesday, where he examined his defeat and the mistakes he made against Poirier in-depth. He also claimed that using Poirier as a “precursor” to a potential boxing match against Manny Pacquiao might have been a mistake. Overall, though, he claims that he is on "the correct path for evolution."

“Thoughts on the bout: I enjoyed racking up some more time inside the famed UFC Octagon. 40 seconds in 3 years is all I’d had up to this bout,” McGregor wrote. “I was savoring very second and enjoying my work. A little single disciplined in my approach and stance with mostly boxing. It’s what I get for picking this bout and opponent as a precursor to a boxing match against ‘Pacman.’ I deserved to get the legs kicked off me going in with this thinking. This is not the game to play around with.

“Besides this [though] my shots where sharp and I was in full control. Albeit the leg attacks [were] building up on me throughout the course. 18 in total thrown at me, with the final one buckling my leg fully, that was that. The peroneal nerve compromised. Fascinating! First time to experience it. Then a tremendous finishing flurry by my opponent. Hats off! A well fought fight by ‘The Diamond.’”

While McGregor clearly struggled with the low kicks of his opponent, he found solace in improved conditioning in the early going of the bout after being taken down by Poirier.

“I was in second gear cruising this fight. Best condition I’ve ever been in,” he wrote. “After the wrestling and clinch exchanges my shots still held their pop. First time for me with this so I am very encouraged to keep going. It was the first time I did not use/nor need the stool between rounds also. I did need the stool after [though] that’s for sure.”

Ultimately, McGregor reiterated a desire for a trilogy with Poirier. His coach, John Kavanagh, recently suggested that such a matchup be for the vacant lightweight belt — a notion that has irked the rest of the lightweight division.

“[One] a piece now with a trilogy bout for all the marbles! Wow! Exciting!” McGregor wrote. “Not a trilogy I was expecting, nor the tactical affair I was anticipating, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t meant to be. This is exactly how this was always meant to be! Buzzing!!”

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