UFC 264 rundown: McGregor won't disappear after injury TKO loss

Dustin Poirier took the trilogy over Conor McGregor, winning via doctor's stoppage after the former champion broke his leg in the main event of UFC 264 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Here are five takeaways from the pay-per-view card.

McGregor won't fade away yet

Many expected the rubber match to provide clarity on McGregor's future. A win would mean he was back and ready to take on all comers, including Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title. Another Poirier victory - especially in dominant fashion - would mean McGregor's best days were behind him and that he'd be limited to money fights against the Nate Diazes of the world moving forward.

"The Notorious" did lose to Poirier again, and though it seemed like the result provided at least some clarity, some people - namely McGregor and the UFC's marketing machine - might argue otherwise.

Suffering an injury in the opening round was just about the best possible outcome for McGregor in a losing effort. Sure, he could've lost a very controversial decision and been rewarded with a title shot - that would've been better than snapping his tibia in half - but the point stands. Though Poirier was off to a great start in Round 1, McGregor didn't get knocked out as he did in the rematch earlier in 2021.

That was huge for the Irishman; in the eyes of UFC president Dana White and many others - Poirier included - the trilogy fight didn't end the rivalry. It was supposed to, but now White, Poirier, and McGregor are all talking about a fourth fight once the former two-division champion recovers. And it's hard not to feel like it's bound to happen. McGregor remains the biggest star in the UFC, and another fight with Poirier would obviously sell well on pay-per-view.

With that in mind, if Poirier takes the lightweight title from Oliveira in his next bout, there's a genuine possibility McGregor would get a title shot while riding a two-fight skid and holding one victory since 2016. Starting to see why this injury TKO loss was beneficial for McGregor compared to a straightforward, knockout defeat?

From a pure sporting standpoint, a fourth fight between Poirier and McGregor isn't necessary to know who's the better fighter. "The Diamond" won the first round of the trilogy clash by a score of 10-8 on two of three judges' scorecards. He was in control of the fight, brutalizing McGregor with elbows and punches on the ground during some of his best moments. Had McGregor not suffered an injury, Poirier securing the victory in the second or third round appeared the most likely scenario based on the first five minutes.

If anything, the injury serves as an excuse for McGregor to stay relevant in the 155-pound division and potentially find himself in a title fight once he heals up. The UFC certainly won't complain about that.

If anyone thought there was a chance we heard the last of "The Notorious" on Saturday, think again.

Poirier's gamble pays off

Poirier had all the power in the world after knocking out McGregor earlier in 2021.

He was the No. 1 contender and had to be one-half of the vacant lightweight title fight assuming Khabib Nurmagomedov would vacate the belt after retiring in October. The UFC offered Poirier a title fight once it reluctantly moved on from Nurrmagomedov. Instead, "The Diamond" pursued the more lucrative option: another fight with McGregor.

It was a gamble because the 32-year-old's chances of getting another title shot - and winning the belt - would dwindle significantly with a loss to McGregor in the trilogy bout. But many ultimately considered it a wise decision, as Poirier stood to make far more money against the biggest star in MMA than in a title bout against either Oliveira or Michael Chandler. Poirier prioritized a huge payday over the belt, and that risk paid off.

Poirier didn't beat McGregor the way he would've liked, but in prizefighting, a win is a win. He gets two checks, and White has already confirmed that Poirier will be Oliveira's first challenger; that was the goal.

In the end, the third McGregor fight was nothing but a short detour before a well-deserved shot at UFC gold.

Thompson's title aspirations are over

Stephen Thompson couldn't afford to lose to Gilbert Burns.

The co-main event was a pivotal fight for both welterweights, but especially "Wonderboy." He was adamant about fighting champion Kamaru Usman with a victory over Burns. After he challenged for UFC gold twice in the past, this was likely the 38-year-old's last chance to earn another title shot.

The Usman fight was far from guaranteed even if he got past Burns - Colby Covington is apparently getting the next title shot - but Thompson would be one step closer.

The veteran ultimately fell victim to Burns' takedowns and top control en route to a unanimous decision loss, and he'll need a miracle to ever return to title contention.

Thompson saw his two-fight winning streak end and is now 2-3 in his past five outings. In an already logjammed division with Covington next up for Usman, Leon Edwards waiting in the wings, Burns back in the win column, and Vicente Luque and Michael Chiesa both on the rise, Thompson working his way back to a title opportunity - without losing another key fight as he ages - is improbable at best.

Time running out for Hardy

The Greg Hardy experiment took a turn for the worse as the former NFL player suffered his second straight stoppage loss, this time in 67 seconds against Tai Tuivasa.

Time is beginning to expire on this test run that started in early 2019.

Some once thought Hardy could potentially become a heavyweight contender thanks to his previous athletic career and a lack of depth in the division. But he's experienced mixed results since signing with the world's biggest MMA promotion, and it's starting to seem like he'll never be anything more than a top-25 heavyweight.

Hardy is a .500 fighter in the UFC and 2-3 over the past 20 months. Additionally, his four Octagon wins all came against fighters who are no longer in the promotion. That speaks volumes about the level of competition he's beaten, and it shows that "The Prince of War" has stumbled in tougher matchups.

Hardy has been a professional MMA fighter for just over three years and is only 32, so there does appear to be significant room for growth if he gets the right training.

But Hardy can't count on ifs and maybes forever - he needs to start winning again to maintain his spot on the roster. Young fighters are released from the UFC all the time, and whether or not they get signed again depends on how they perform out on the regional circuit.

Big and explosive, Hardy still has some potential. But that potential continues to fade with each loss. If he falls short again, the UFC will need to seriously reassess whether he's worth keeping around.

How about Moutinho's chin?

Don't get it twisted: Sean O'Malley dominated newcomer and short-notice replacement Kris Moutinho in Saturday's main-card opener. The bantamweight prospect landed the second-most significant strikes in a three-round bout in UFC history and the fourth-most overall. Those are ridiculous statistics.

But just as impressive as O'Malley's performance were Moutinho's toughness and heart. Stepping in on less than two weeks' notice after a staph infection forced Louis Smolka to pull out, Moutinho literally gave it his all as a 9-1 long shot, walking O'Malley down - despite getting walloped with a boatload of head strikes - the entire fight.

Several predictions had O'Malley smoking the new UFC signee within a few minutes, but Moutinho made it to the final 30 seconds before referee Herb Dean decided he'd absorbed enough punishment for one night. Even then, many on social media thought Dean made a mistake calling off the fight instead of granting Moutinho the moral victory of going the distance against the heavily favored O'Malley.

Moutinho got beat up for the better part of 15 minutes, but his stock undoubtedly goes up after one of the best displays of toughness ever seen in the Octagon.