Conor McGregor is going to rematch Dustin Poirier after 6 and a half years for his highly anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 257. Conor last fought Donald Cerrone in January 2020 and is coming back after a year. However, he has actually fought just twice since his win over Eddie Alvarez in 2016. That is a lot of time spent away from the cage.

Even though he went into the boxing ring, Conor never forgot about MMA. He has claimed on multiple occasions that he kept active in his training in the sport. As a result, McGregor seems a little miffed about the lack of attention the media has given to his development as a fighter, especially compared to how they are treating Dustin Poirier. He spoke to Barstool Sports.

“They never like to give me my credit. That’s okay. That’s fine. I have improved immensely and Dustin has also- to an extent. You know he is tough, he still has the same reactions, shots, and entries, but he has improved regarding the clock, he has been in there more. But look, I’ll show it on Saturday night. That’s for sure.”

Conor McGregor: Smoke or fire?

Conor McGregor could just be saying this to keep the air of mystery around his preparation. He could be blowing smoke into the media to create a narrative. However, if the Cerrone fight is any proof, McGregor has made genuine progress as a fighter.

He used unconventional striking, a blistering pace, and ruthless setups to get a fighter like Cerrone out of the cage in under a minute. While Poirier has gotten a lot of cage time since his first fight against Conor, it doesn’t make a difference for the first few minutes of the fight. Conor will push the pace and try to get Poirier uncomfortable.

However, the Poirier narrative could find its fruit if the fight goes long. We will find out on Saturday.