Nate Diaz explains what Conor McGregor did wrong against Dustin Poirier

Nate Diaz has shared his thoughts on what Conor McGregor did wrong in his recent TKO loss to Dustin Poirier.

McGregor and Poirier met in the main event of UFC 257 last month, in a rematch of a 2014 featherweight fight that the former won by first-round knockout. In their UFC 257 rematch, Poirier evened the score, mangling McGregor’s lead leg with calf kicks, and stopping him with punches in round two.

In a recent interview ESPN, Diaz shared his thoughts on what McGregor did wrong against Poirier. Interestingly, he said McGregor’s loss stemmed more from his own mistakes than Poirier’s strategy.

"I think [Conor McGregor] was pushing the pace too hard like he had it in the bag… He's anxious for the kill because he wants out."@NateDiaz209 thinks McGregor was too aggressive against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. (via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/pb8ciwPKgx

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 9, 2021

“I think he f*cked up more than Dustin did anything good,” Diaz began, rating McGregor’s performance (via Mirror). “He was landing shots and it looked in the bag to me but he still makes the same mistakes he always has.

“He tried to make it last against Khabib [Nurmagomedov in 2018], he took four rounds to finish him off; then he fought Dustin, he was dropping combinations on him but I think he was pushing the pace like he had it in the bag,” Diaz said. “That happens because he doesn’t want to be in there, he’s too anxious for the kill because he wants out. He should have slowed it down a little bit.”

Diaz has fought McGregor twice before, both times at welterweight in 2016. In their first fight, Diaz won by second-round submission. McGregor then evened the score with a majority decision win in their immediate rematch.

While Diaz makes some interesting points about McGregor’s loss to Poirier, the Irishman himself quickly admitted Poirier’s leg kicks were the main catalyst for his loss.

“My leg is completely dead and even though I felt like I was checking them, it was just sinking into the muscle at the front of the leg and it was very badly compromised,” McGregor said at the post-fight press conference. “It’s like an American football in my suit at the minute.

“It is what it is,” McGregor added. Dustin fought a hell of a fight, engaged in the takedown attempt and I thought I did well when I got up and turned him… I was thinking in my head in the second round to tie up with him because I was better in the clinch but too little, too late. The leg was compromised and I didn’t adjust. Fair play to Dustin.”

What do you think of this breakdown from Nate Diaz? Where do you think Conor McGregor went wrong in his rematch against Dustin Poirier?