UFC 264: Skilled Conor McGregor landed ‘vicious’ shots from his back — ‘That’s why Dustin backed away’

Those idiot judges who scored the UFC 264 pay-per-view (PPV) main event were either blind or uneducated, because former lightweight champion Conor McGregor was landing so many devastating shots from his back, Dustin Poirier had no choice but to abandon his top attack to retreat for safer ground (and to preserve two of his 10-8 scores).

That’s according to the Irishman’s “Notorious” post-fight assessment.

“I used to just train on my back, and that’s how I developed those ground-and-pound shots from the back,” McGregor said on Instagram. “That’s why Dustin backed away when he was on top of me and I was landing the upkicks and the elbows. It’s a horrible place to be in when you’re against someone like me. You can’t land. You take so much effort to try and land shots from your top position, and while you’re trying to do that and losing your energy, you’re getting lumped out by downward elbows and vicious upkicks. It was a skill I developed because I had the damaged leg, and I had to adjust my training.”

And adjust his opponent’s glove:

Poirier captured a technical knockout victory over McGregor when “Notorious” broke his leg toward the end of the opening frame, which may or may not have been caused by a pre-existing injury. As a result, “Mystic Mac” will on crutches for the next six weeks.

And out of action until 2022.

For full UFC 264 play-by-play updates and results click here. And to check out the latest and greatest “McGregor vs. Poirier 3”-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.