Dustin Poirier has voiced his bewilderment at Conor McGregor's decision to open their fight with a jumping switch kick. Poirier said he had no idea whose game plan it was to start with the flying side kick, describing the choice as simply 'crazy.'
Dustin Poirier has gone on record expressing genuine disbelief at the opening sequence of his fight with Conor McGregor, specifically McGregor's decision to launch the bout with a jumping switch kick. Poirier said he had no idea whose game plan called for that flying side kick, and he described the choice with one word: crazy.
Poirier, 37, enters the conversation as one of the most battle-tested fighters in lightweight history. The American Top Team product out of Louisiana carries a 30-10-0 professional record and has long been regarded as an elite finisher in the division. Fighting out of a southpaw stance with a 72-inch reach, he lands 5.24 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy, and he adds a consistent submission threat, averaging 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
McGregor, also 37, represents the other half of one of MMA's most storied rivalries. The SBG Ireland product from Dublin holds a 22-7-0 record and carries a slight reach advantage at 74 inches. Fighting southpaw himself, McGregor averages 5.27 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy, making him one of the sharper volume strikers of his generation despite a relatively low takedown rate of 0.66 per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- The opening exchange sets the tactical tone of any fight, and McGregor's unorthodox choice to lead with a jumping switch kick raises questions about his corner's strategic thinking.
- Poirier's public comments suggest the move caught him off guard, which speaks to McGregor's unpredictability as a striker even deep into a rivalry.
- Both men share near-identical physical profiles and southpaw stances, meaning angles and timing decisions — like an opening flying technique — carry outsized importance in their stylistic matchup.
