Conor McGregor fight is “gonna be worse” for Dustin Poirier in later rounds, says coach

Owen Roddy, one of the coaches behind Conor McGregor, says the Irishman is prepared to fight Dustin Poirier for five rounds if needed.

McGregor and Poirier will collide in the main event of UFC 257 this Saturday on Fight Island. Heading into the fight, Poirier has emphasized that he intends to avoid McGregor’s offense early, and turn the fight into a bloody war of attrition.

“When we’re dry early, he has all the pop and the spring still in his step,” Poirier told MMA Junkie ahead of his fight with McGregor. “(He’s) very dangerous. Good thing it’s a 25-minute fight, and I feel like I’ve matured and developed my skills enough to be in the right moments and take the right chances and not put myself in harm’s way right off the bat.

“I feel like the better fighter wins in the longer fights,” Poirier added, outlining his plans to drag McGregor into deep water. “Anybody can get hurt early or submitted early in a fight. The more a fight blossoms and unfolds, the better fighter usually rises up and I just want to show that I’m the better fighter. … Those later rounds, I get going. I’m sure Conor’s made adjustments. He has slowed down in the later rounds, but I think the longer this fight goes, the better it plays out for me.”

While many fans agree this is the ideal strategy for Poirier, Roddy disagrees.

Speaking to Submission Radio recently, Roddy suggested that McGregor will actually get stronger and more dangerous the longer the fight goes.

“I doubt it’s gonna go that far,” Roddy said. “But if it does go to three, four and five, I think it’s gonna be worse for Poirier. I can’t see it going that far, but I think it would be worse for Poirier, if I’m being honest. Because you don’t want Conor hitting you for 25 minutes. And he can set the pace, Conor. He’s in phenomenal shape. He’s in the best shape I’ve ever seen in my life. Physically, mentally. So, I think it would be dangerous. I think Poirier would be taking a lot of dangerous blows if he managed to stay in there. But I still don’t see him staying in there.”

What game plans do you think Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier should employ at UFC 257?