Poirier vs. McGregor 2: A Breakdown of Styles

The Unstoppable Force vs The Immovable Object
UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate
Fighting Championship that will take place on January 23, 2021, at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The fight, sure to be exciting, will pit two elite mixed martial artists at the
top of their game who have proclivity for the striking aspects of the game. So, who wins? The
unstoppable force in Poirier’s relentless forward pressure? Or the immovable object in McGregor’s
surgical sniper-like game? The answer might be found in the leveraging of their respective striking
styles.
What’s in a Style?
But what is a style? For the purpose of this article, styles can be considered a combination of high
frequency behaviors that fighters apply under specific combat conditions. More specifically, “styles are
made up of a complex interplay between genetics, physiological characteristics, historical factors, and
contact with environment variables” (Gavoni & Gomez, 2015).
Understanding styles is critical for developing a fighter’s skill set and for strategic fight planning. Can you
imagine Tyson training and fighting like Ali, or vice versa? It’s safe to say they would have not reached
the pinnacle of the sport had they not perfected a style that matched genetic predispositions like height
and reach.
Types of Styles
Styles can be broken down into 3 general classifications (Gavoni, 2013): short-range, mid-range. and
long-range. Fluent practitioners of a specific style (e.g. Tyson was fluent in short-range; Ali, long-range)
within the classification system likely follow the 80-20 rule…80% of the time they use their “go to
stylistic skills,” and 20% of the time they utilize elements of the other two classifications. While many
fighters do not employ a style that fits cleanly into one classification, most tactically apply elements of a
given style under the right conditions.
Poirier’s Striking Style – The Tank
When assessing the styles of Poirier and McGregor, it’s easy to see that, in terms of striking, this is a mid
vs long-range style make up. Mid-range, primarily employed by Poirier, is the “default” style as these
tactics are fundamental to any striking approach. Instead of “slipping and ripping” like short-range
tactics, the mid-range style relies heavily on what can be called “catching and throwing.” This strategy
requires fighters use their hands, shoulders and arms, to absorb or “catch” the opponent’s offense and
then immediately “throw” a strike to counter. Every fighter must have some level of proficiency with
mid-range tactics. Even Tyson caught punches.
Fighters like Poirier who effectively employ this style are like a “tank” with tough armor moving forward
into enemy fire. While fluent practitioners tend to be those of average height and reach for their weight
class (as compared with shorter fighters like Tyson who are better able to employ short-range styles), a
higher guard with subtle, steady forward movement allows fighters to more safely close the distance on
the opponent. Once within striking distance, mid-range fighters create opportunities to use their solid
defense to relentlessly unleash tight and fast combinations to a variety of areas, as Poirier has done to
his opponents in the past.

The mid-range style typically allows the fighter to distribute their weight equally and remain in a
position where he or she can consistently defend and apply the largest variety of offense not always
available to other fighters because of the nature of their styles.
McGregor’s Striking Style – The Sniper
There tends to be lots of confusion regarding the long-range striking style as pundits can be heard
admonishing “he needs to keep his hands up!” Even seasoned commentators like UFC’s Joe Rogan and
HBO’s Jim Lampley fall back on this “go-to” recommendation. While this is true sometimes, for the long-
range fighter, keeping their hands lowered is an asset because the relaxed nature of their shoulders
allows for greater speed and length at a lowered effort. If one needs evidence of this, just observe the
frequent hand positioning of Connor McGregor. Fighters most effective with the “long-range” style tend
to be those with a reach advantage who wish to give their opponent the illusion they can be hit because
of their lowered guard. But really, they use distance management through micro-footwork as their built-
in defense (i.e. they can reach their opponent, but their opponent can’t reach then), and frequently bait
the opponent in. Then, like a well-trained sniper, use timing and accuracy to deliver devastating
counters as McGregor did with Jose Aldo. This style is also effective for those fighters who are
attempting to avoid takedowns, like McGregor.
Who Wins?
The fact is, nobody really knows as there are just too many variables that must be considered. For
example, McGregor has only fought 3 times in the past few years, with a big chunk of time being
focused exclusively on boxing. And he’s been living a lifestyle that only the richest and most famous
have experienced. Has this sapped his motivation? Has his supreme self-confidence in his ability stifled
his training habits? Has his love of boxing altered the body mechanics, tactics, and strategies required to
be successful at the highest levels of MMA? And then there is Poirier? His loss to McGregor was a bitter
defeat. Like Aldo, will emotion get the better of him as he tries to avenge his loss? Will he make tactical
adjustments in order to adapt and overcome McGregor’s striking style? Well, the betting odds as of the
writing of this article have Poirier as an underdog. Not a big underdog, but an underdog nonetheless.
I’m a big fan of both. Poirier as both a fighter and a kind and caring person, and McGregor, for what he’s
done for the sport. My prediction, (and I’m biased because I’ve spent time with both Poirier and his
coach Mike Brown, both of whom are the salt of the earth), is that Poirier will make the adjustments
needed and beat McGregor by decision. Let us know your thoughts!