Conor McGregor did NOT give Dustin Poirier the ‘respect he deserved’ in his defeat at UFC 257, claims Artem Lobov… but he has backed his friend to bounce back in style during trilogy fight next weekend
- Conor McGregor will face Dustin Poirier in trilogy fight next weekend at UFC 264
- Former two-weight world champion McGregor won the first fight in 2014
- But Poirier stunned McGregor with a second-round knockout in the rematch
- Artem Lobov has since claimed that McGregor didn’t ‘respect’ Poirier enough
Conor McGregor‘s friend Artem Lobov has claimed the Irishman didn’t give Dustin Poirier enough ‘respect’ during his defeat in their rematch at UFC 257 in January.
After winning his first fight in 2014 against Poirier, McGregor was stunned by his American rival in their rematch via a vicious second round knockout.
The duo will now meet again next weekend on July 10 for their trilogy fight, and the stakes are certainly high for McGregor as he desperately looks for revenge against Poirier.
Conor McGregor suffered his first professional defeat by knockout in January to Dustin Poirier
And Lobov, who has been a long-term sparring partner of McGregor’s, believes his friend didn’t take Poirier seriously enough during his defeat in January – even claiming he was distracted by the prospect of a possible boxing showdown with Manny Pacquiao.
Russian MMA star Lobov told BJPENN: ‘To be honest, it wasn’t like he wasn’t fully focused or anything, he just didn’t give Dustin the respect he deserved.
‘He was more thinking about boxing Manny after the fight and was getting ready for that as Conor saw that as the challenge and Dustin was just going to be a warm-up fight.
‘Obviously, it didn’t work out that way. Dustin did his homework and improved a lot.’
Despite claiming McGregor didn’t give Poirier the respect he warranted, Lobov believes the Irishman will bounce back in style and come out on top next weekend.
Artem Lobov (right) claims his friend McGregor didn’t give Poirier the ‘respect he deserved’
Lobov added: ‘To be honest with you, if you look at the second fight, it was developing how the first fight went. That is what I expected.
‘I see the fight going how it already was going and the way the first fight went and I see Conor stopping Dustin early in this fight, I see Conor stopping Dustin in the first round.’
Meanwhile, Georges St-Pierre has also backed McGregor to avenge his Fight Island loss against Poirier with a second-round knockout.
‘I think McGregor is very good in rematches, and I think he’s going to have the victory,’ St-Pierre told Tristar Gym YouTube channel via MMA Junkie ahead of the highly-anticipated bout.
‘I think he’s probably going to win in the second round. A knockout.’
McGregor will be desperate for revenge when he takes on Poirier in the trilogy fight on July 10