Conor McGregor will NEVER fight for a UFC title again if Dustin Poirier beats Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 on Saturday… as The Notorius is ‘a tough sell’ and ‘lost discipline’ before his injury in UFC 264, says Chael Sonnen
Conor McGregor will never fight for a UFC title again if Dustin Poirier beats Charles Oliveira, according to former middleweight and light-heavyweight title contender Chael Sonnen.
Oliveira will look to defend his UFC lightweight champion belt against Poirier at UFC 269 in Las Vegas on Saturday night and Sonnen believes the outcome of the fight could have a huge impact on McGregor’s career.
‘Conor’s pretty set on fighting Dustin Poirier,’ he told The MMA Hour.
Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor may never fight for a UFC title again
‘If Poirier beats Oliveira, as the oddsmakers think he’s going to do, I don’t think there’s a scenario where Conor comes back, even for a grudge match, into a title fight. That’s a tough sell.’
The Irishman has claimed he would walk into a title fight once he returns to the octagon after recovering from the broken leg he suffered against Poirier in UFC 264.
Sonnen, however, does not share the same view.
‘I don’t think so – I really don’t,’ he continued.
Dustin Porier (right) will fight Charles Oliveira in UFC 269 in Las Vegas on Saturday
‘Look, if you ever have a No. 1 guy, and he slides down to No. 4, he slides down to No. 5, he’s never getting his spot back. And that’s across the board in sport.’
Sonnen, a former ESPN analyst, also suggested McGregor’s commitment to the sport had waned after he become a global icon and that working his way back to a title fight would be very difficult.
‘I just know that Conor lost a level of discipline, it appeared, when he got to a different position in life, to a different status,’ he said.
Poirier won his trilogy fight with The Notorius by TKO in the first round at UFC 264 in July
McGregor broke his left fibia and tibula in the first round of the bout in Las Vegas
The Irishman was stretchered off the Octagon but his recovery is ahead of schedule
‘It looked like he lost some discipline from where I was sitting.
‘Now it’s not a choice. It was a choice to go to the gym and train hard back when he was healthy, and he didn’t do enough of it. Now, it’s not a choice.
‘And I can tell you no human being can get better at something by not doing it.’
McGregor and Poirier fought three times, with The Notorious winning at featherweight by TKO in the first round in UFC 178, before both fighters moved to lightweight and Poirier prevailed by second round KO at UFC 257.
The trilogy fight at UFC 264 in July ended as McGregor shattered his left fibia and tibula in the first round.
In October, the Dubliner said his recovery was ‘well ahead of schedule’ and that he was confident of making a return to sparring by April.
‘It’s getting there. Patience will win this race for me,’ he tweeted.
‘I will be full mixed martial arts sparring by April. Easily. By then a return will be imminent. But I must be patient.’
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