Conor McGregor's Dentist Must Be Very Confident in the Dustin Poirier Rematch

Conor McGregor is easily the most successful prize fighter in mixed martial arts. The Irish pugilist was able to utilize his brash personality, bold fight predictions, and highlight-reel early knockout victories that made him look like a truly formidable fighter who won in a spectacular fashion.

He was so popular that he managed to nab a professional boxing match against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather despite having zero pro fisticuffs bouts.

But even though Conor's success is a rarity in the fight business, there's at least one way he's similar to other fighters: the need to get some new teeth.

The mixed martial artist turned whiskey founder turned boxer turned clothing line manufacturer has been smiling a heck of a lot more in his social media posts. The rigors of daily sparring, even with a mouthguard, can leave one's teeth seriously jacked up. Chipping chompers, irritating the ivories, and mangling the mandibles is just a foregone conclusion.

So it's understandable when fighters take some of their earnings to go to a dentist and get their teeth fixed, as Conor did — which he seemingly confirmed in this April 2021 Instagram video, with the caption: "Hey guys, I decided to match my smile to my bank account."

Some people are questioning the timing of Conor McGregor's decision to get his teeth fixed, as it's right before his upcoming bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

The first time the two met was in September of 2014 at UFC 178, where Conor put an absolute clinic on Dustin resulting in a first-round stoppage at one minute and forty-six seconds into the fight. Conor's karate stance, jumping in and out and landing punches, spinning kicks to the body, and leg kicks culminated in an astounding victory for the Irishman.

January of 2021 at UFC 257, however, proved to be a different animal entirely for McGregor. "The Diamond" has undoubtedly gotten much better throughout the years, as he fought for the title against Khabib Nurmagomedov in September of 2019. The hard-fought contest culminated in Khabib submitting Dustin in the third round; however, the Louisiana native's stock as a fighter rose after the loss.

Poirier would go on to decisively win a five-round decision over Dan Hooker. His rematch with McGregor ended a lot differently than their first meeting. Dustin was able to take Conor's shots (including the infamous "left hand") and still pushed forward, landing more frequently as the bout went on.

A calf kick from Poirier severely affected Conor's mobility and Dustin eventually TKO'd the Irishman halfway into the second round. Conor states that the reason for his loss was his extensive boxing preparation for a rumored bout with Manny Pacquiao.

Footage of the fight does reveal Conor to be abandoning the type of on-the-toes, darting-in-and-out style that was the key to his victory so many times prior.

Conor told ESPN (per Boxing Insider) that he was also "looking past" Dustin in their last bout: "I pitied the man [Poirier] … I was looking past him. I had a Manny Pacquiao camp in place."

The fighter also went on to say that he hasn't been focusing on boxing at all this camp.

While Cerrone is a highly decorated mixed martial artist who actually has the most wins in UFC history at 23, he has seen his fair share of tough stoppage losses. Many believed that Donald was in the "twilight" of his career when Conor fought him. "Cowboy" is also known to be a "slow starter" and Conor usually comes out the gate guns blazing.

UFC 264 will air on ESPN+ PPV Saturday, July 10, with the main card starting at 10 p.m. EST. Who do you got?