Conor McGregor was a ‘parody’ of himself in his UFC 257 fight against Dustin Poirier and looked ‘one-dimensional’.
That’s according to fight sports broadcaster and writer Gareth A. Davies, who was left seriously unimpressed with ‘The Notorious’ and his display on Fight Island.
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After a 12-month absence from the octagon, McGregor returned to fighting and declared he was better than ever and capable of even destroying previous versions of himself.
However, his triumphant return was brought to a crashing halt by Poirier, who chopped away the Irishman’s lead leg and finished him in the second round.
Having never been knocked out in MMA before, questions about McGregor’s desire and durability were asked following the Fight Island stoppage.
Davies, who has followed McGregor’s career since his days as an apprentice plumber collecting benefits, likened the Irish superstar to Prince Naseem Hamed – a precocious talent who left the sport of boxing suddenly at the age of 28 with the world seemingly at his feet.
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Speaking on the new talkSPORT 2 show, The Knockout, Davies said: “I’ve charted his rise in minute detail but, him on Sunday morning; it reminded me of Naseem Hamed 20 years ago against Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas.
“He accused himself of inactivity; it is his own fault he has been inactive! What is it, six fights in five years?
“I think his narcissism and arrogance – and you do need them to be a fighter who has done what he has done – he’s been a pioneer, a path-finder and a life-bringer for MMA to the mainstream.
“But he is a parody of himself now, he is not the wrecking ball featherweight he once was who tore mentally through opponents.
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“He was one-dimensional, he thought he could just walk through Poirier and he did have a very good first round in that fight. But he ran out of ideas and I think he is struggling; he needs to find a new identity.
“They are pushing for the third fight; John Kavanagh has been on with Ariel Helwani in the United States saying that is the fight they want and I understand it.
“He may well come through it like he did against Nate Diaz in that second fight that they had five years ago.
“Listen; he is an incredible character, but I just wonder if the silk pyjamas and the billionaire’s yacht he turned up in and with £150million in the bank, whether that hunger has actually gone now.
“Maybe the McGregor era is over.”
