Dustin Poirier scored a first-round stoppage over Conor McGregor at UFC 264 on Saturday night after the Irish star broke his left fibula and tibia when he stepped back awkwardly.
Although the match ended in unfortunate fashion, many walked away under the impression that Poirier would have ended up winning had it continued as planned. This notion is somewhat backed up by the fact that two judges scored the first round 10-8 in favor of Poirier, while the remaining one scored it 10-9 in his favor.
One key moment in the bout occurred when McGregor went for an ill-advised guillotine. Poirier was able to defend and reverse attack with ease, but eagle-eyed fans noticed something in the process.
Apparently, Poirier had his toe in the fence of the cage, helping him with leverage and control. This of course is blatantly illegal. The video speaks for itself:
For what it’s worth, this wasn’t the only cheating accusation from Saturday night’s main event. Poirier also accused McGregor of improper behavior, noting that the Irish superstar was grabbing his gloves.
“I let him up because he had three fingers in my glove, the cuff of the tape, so it’s a good grip, and he’s pulling me down into up-kicks,” Poirier said.
“He’s pulling me down and kicking up at the same time. I’m not surprised that he does that kind of stuff.”
This isn’t the first time the topic of cheating has arisen as it pertains to McGregor. Something similar happened after the Khabib Nurmagomedov fight.
Given the controversial nature of the finish at UFC 264, a fourth fight seems inevitable. Assuming McGregor ever returns to the cage, of course. He’s not exactly hard up for cash. If he wants to brave a return from the gruesome injury he suffered, it will strictly be for pride.
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