Check Out The Sports Science Behind A Conor McGregor Knockout

Conor McGregor will be looking to add another highlight-reel knockout to his resume later tonight (Sat., Jan. 23, 2021) at UFC 257 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Etihad Arena on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., when “Notorious” meet lightweight contender Dustin Poirier in the main event.

McGregor, who is returning to 155 pounds for the first time in two years, looks to be in incredible shape for his lightweight takeover. The former UFC double champ even made championship weight for Friday’s official weigh ins (results HERE). To say he’s ready to finish Poirier at UFC 257 and run away with the lightweight division is an understatement.

That said, it’s unlikely McGregor returns to the division after such a long layoff and walks through Poirier like he did in their first meeting at featherweight over six years ago. McGregor is a sizeable favorite to win, but “Diamond” is not the same fighter and more than capable of spoiling McGregor’s plans for 2021.

If McGregor wants to give himself the best chance to win he’s going to have to land his power shots early and give Poirier something to think about. McGregor is known for his knockout power more than anything so if he can channel that in the first round it may be too much for “Diamond” to handle. After all, McGregor has finished eight of his 10 UFC wins by way of knockout or TKO. It’s a trend that will continue to happen if he can find a home for his patented left hand.

In advance to McGregor’s return and search for another finish over Poirier ESPN has opened up the lab to give fight fans an inside look at the sports science behind a “Mystic Mac” knockout. The video breakdown can be seen above and calls out some pretty intriguing facts, like McGregor’s striking accuracy climbing to over 60 percent in finishing rounds.

Take a look and be sure to catch the action later tonight at UFC 257. Full viewing details can be seen HERE.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 257 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN+ and ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.