Conor McGregor has issued a message to his fans after his shock knockout loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi.
McGregor went into the bout as the bookmakers' favorite, though many felt the fight would be much closer than the pair's first- a one-sided first round knockout victory for the Irishman back in 2014.
As it was, Poirier shook off the demons of that bout in impressive fashion, catching McGregor with a furry of punches that forced referee Herb Dean to step in and stop the contest.
"I'm gutted, it's a tough one to swallow," McGregor said in the aftermath of the bout. He then alluded to the damage Poirier's brutal leg kicks had caused him:
"I felt stronger than him, but his leg kicks were good. I didn't adjust. My leg was badly compromised, I've never experienced those low calf kicks, and I wasn't as comfortable as I needed to be.
"I have no excuses. It was a phenomenal performance by Dustin. I have to dust it off and come back."
And now, the Irishman has sent a message to his fans on social media, taking to Twitter and Instagram to write:
"Thanks for the support everyone! Was not my night/morning in there but a great contest to improve on. I’m excited at the blockbuster trilogy I now have on my hands. Dustin is a hell of a competitor and I look forward to going again. God bless us all, happy Sunday".
On Instagram, the Crumlin-born fighter added:
"Thanks for the support everyone! Was not my night/morning in there but a great contest to improve on. I’m excited at the blockbuster trilogy I now have on my hands. Dustin is a hell of a competitor and I look forward to going again. Elevating the leg and the spirit on my way home! God bless us all, happy Sunday"
In the post fight press conference, the Irishman expanded further on the matchup, per MMA Mania. He said:
“I’ll regroup and pick myself up off the floor and go again and that’s it. Styles make fights, there are many great stylistic matchups out there. Me and Dustin are 1-1, myself and Nate are 1-1. There are many good matchups for me and I’ll adopt a different approach for a trilogy with Dustin because those leg kicks are not to be messed with.
“That calf kick. I’ve never experienced that, and it’s a good one. It’s not that I don’t have the style in me to switch it up and keep that at bay. I’ve a lot more weapons I didn’t get to show. It wasn’t my night. Wasn’t a great night.”
For Dustin Poirier, another title shot at lightweight looks likely in the near future. McGregor must now regroup and plot his way back to the top of the sport he dominated for so long.