{"id":4614,"date":"2021-01-28T15:29:37","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T15:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gambyl.com\/?p=4614"},"modified":"2021-01-28T19:17:09","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T19:17:09","slug":"khabibs-coach-javier-mendez-warned-him-dustin-poirier-is-coming-for-your-legs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gambyl.com\/en\/ufc\/khabibs-coach-javier-mendez-warned-him-dustin-poirier-is-coming-for-your-legs\/","title":{"rendered":"Khabib\u2019s Coach Javier Mendez Warned Him: Dustin Poirier is Coming for Your Legs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) head coach Javier Mendez discusses Poirier vs. McGregor and wonders how Team McGregor could have overlooked the leg kick element of Poirier\u2019s game.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The mixed martial arts (MMA) world is still reeling from the big upset at UFC 257 where Dustin Poirier knocked out Conor McGregor halfway through the second round (watch it<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Internet is full of analysts from major networks to Tiktok tearing the fight apart to pinpoint exactly how Poirier turned the tide in the second round and left \u201cThe Notorious\u201d Conor McGregor senseless on the canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poirier\u2019s calf kicks definitely played a big part in deadening McGregor\u2019s leg and hampering his movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what AKA head coach, Javier Mendez, seized on when talking to Submission Radio recently,<\/a> and he followed that up by wondering how Team McGregor could let him go to war without an answer for those particular attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I saw Dustin start going for the leg kicks, I go, “Oh my god, Conor\u2019s stance is not made for checking properly, leg kicks like that,” <\/em>Mendez said. \u201cEspecially calf kicks. So, I thought that was going to be a major problem. And then when he hit Dustin with the good shot and Dustin took it, that\u2019s when I kind of knew, oh boy, things are gonna change. And sure enough, they did. And it was a great game plan from Dustin to work the leg kicks, calf kicks. And it was a bad judgement on Conor\u2019s part to not be prepared for that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand how you cannot be prepared for something like that when that\u2019s what everyone\u2019s going to<\/em>,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKhabib, I told him, I reminded him every day that Justin\u2019s coming after your legs, Justin\u2019s coming after your legs. Every day I was telling him that. And you would think that you would be reminded also because that\u2019s a big weapon. Until fighters learn how to deal with it, it\u2019s gonna be a big weapon, guys, big weapon<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was also a lefty vs. lefty situation, which left McGregor\u2019s legs even more exposed than they would have been otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add in the fact that Poirier is known in the gym for his obliterating leg kicks and it\u2019s a pretty big oversight in game planning. Mendez was left wondering whether something different in the way McGregor set up his training camp led to his downfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInactivity does affect things, and that\u2019s what he\u2019s saying<\/em>,\u201d Mendez said. \u201cBut I also happen to know, too, when you make changes in camp, when things weren\u2019t broken, why change them? I heard he went to Portugal, or something like that, to do training. But what was wrong with where he\u2019s always trained? I don\u2019t know. It looks like he made a lot of changes, and why change when things aren\u2019t broken?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always told Khabib and all those guys, when you\u2019re doing something good and you\u2019re winning, why change it? Why try to change things up? There\u2019s no need to change things if things are working. That\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking. I\u2019m not saying I\u2019m right; I\u2019m just saying that\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to McGregor, it was the same team he\u2019s been using since the beginning, just imported into the Portugal gym owned by his conditioning coaches (themselves a part of the team since the first Nate Diaz<\/a> loss).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, who knows, maybe things were just a bit too posh and relaxed over there versus in Dublin. Maybe there really weren\u2019t enough people in positions of authority to keep McGregor on the right path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or maybe McGregor just got hit with a bad kick that blew out his calf and these things happen in combat sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We think we need more data. Which will apparently come at some point as McGregor is already hounding UFC to set up a third fight<\/a> with Poirier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether he returns against \u201cDiamond\u201d or gets in the Octagon against someone else, we\u2019ll see whether he revamps his game and protects his legs better, especially now that everyone\u2019s undoubtedly going to target them moving forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) head coach Javier Mendez discusses Poirier vs. McGregor and wonders how Team McGregor could have overlooked the leg kick element of Poirier\u2019s game. The mixed martial arts (MMA) world is still reeling from the big upset at UFC 257 where Dustin Poirier knocked out Conor McGregor halfway through the second round […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ufc"],"aioseo_notices":[],"modified_by":"Gambyl Nation Editorial Team","aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t