UFC
Conor McGregor on Dustin Poirier bout at UFC 178: "I don't think he's a step up... in my eyes he's a journeyman"
Sep 22, 2014 - 12:15:16 PM Conor McGregor on Dustin Poirier bout at UFC 178: "I don't think he's a step up... in my eyes he's a journeyman"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Conor McGregor's been garnering a ton of attention in his short UFC career thus far on the back of a lot of talk and wins over some lower level fighters in the featherweight division. Because of that, many see his bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 as the step up fight he needs to showcase just how good he is.

However, McGregor doesn't seem to think Poirier's quite the step up that most believe him to be.

"I don't believe he's a step up or the best guy I've ever fought," McGregor said in an interview with MMAJunkie. "I look in the mirror and that's the best guy I've ever fought. For me, this fight seems easy."

"He's a journeyman fighter, and that's what I see. He doesn't impress me at all. I believe he's a basic fighter, he throws basic shots, and in my eyes he's a journeyman. It's that simple."

Despite that opinion of Poirier, McGregor does see this as another chance to progress what he can do in the cage, and as a fight that will be a means to an end: the UFC Featherweight Championship.

"I believe it's a first-round stoppage,"McGregor said in his prediction for the fight. "I'm only scratching the surface here and I feel like I'm at that next level again – executing that flawless performance."

"... I believe [the UFC] is going to be under a lot of pressure to give me that title shot. Really, I don't think they want to deny me the title shot, anyway. I believe they want me to have that belt. So Sept. 27, I'll go in there and handle my business and prove that I'm ready for the belt. It's time."

Penick's Analysis: If McGregor goes in there on Saturday in Las Vegas and just destroys Poirier, it's definitely going to make the UFC at least consider leapfrogging him over Cub Swanson. I still think Swanson's deserving of the next fight against the Aldo-Mendes winner, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they skipped over a rematch to capitalize on McGregor in that next title fight. It's all going to be dependent on him looking as fantastic as he's telling everyone he'll look, and if he follows through, he'll make a few more believers.