Inactivity. Defeats. Lawsuits.
Those three words are all you need to describe Conor McGregor's last four years. Saturday night, the UFC's biggest star has an opportunity to start down a path of glory that he has not seen since 2016.
That's the upside Conor McGregor can reach with a victory over the UFC's second ranked lightweight, Dustin Poirier on Saturday night.
The downside is steep and Poirier is not to be taken lightly. You don't want to become the guy that is all talk and no action.
If McGregor takes an L for the third time in his last four fights (including boxing Floyd Mayweather) I'll be the first one starting to question his legacy. That is coming from someone who became a fan of the sport, almost entirely because of Conor McGregor.
You can't be considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time, let alone fighters in general, winning just once between ages 28-32.
Betonline.ag has McGregor as a -305 favorite. That line is likely influenced by McGregor's massive star power, that would see a majority of the bets come to his side regardless of the odds. The oddsmakers think McGregor could realistically lose.
The last time we saw Conor McGregor, one year ago, he ran through future UFC hall of famer Donald Cerrone with a literal perfect performance. Forty seconds, twenty strikes for McGregor, zero for Cerrone, game over.
Poirier may be a stiffer test than Cerrone, but this is Conor's perfect opponent. An all around well balanced fighter without one elite trait. Those are the type of opponents McGregor dismantles and dismantles quickly.
Poirier cannot just stand there and trade shots with McGregor. He'll lose quicker than the 1:46 it took for Conor to knock him out six years ago when both were up and comers in the UFC.
Poirier does have a much better ground attack than McGregor does, but Conor's ground defense is easily the most underrated part of his game.
He is always two steps ahead of the submission. Great at slipping out of danger, denying dive attacks at his legs to take him down, and doing damage to his opponent from his back.
I just don't see how Poirier wins. Some have pointed to Khabib Nurmagomedov's domination of McGregor two years ago as a blueprint, but nobody has the ability to just smother Conor for three rounds like Khabib does.
My prediction for this fight is quick work for Conor McGregor. A TKO in the second round.
If that prediction becomes a reality, than it's on to title and mega fights for McGregor. If Poirier pulls off the upset, Conor McGregor's legacy will suffer irreparable damage.