Dustin Poirier's Boxing coach Predicts 3rd-Round Knockout of Conor McGregor at UFC 264

Dustin Poirier's long-time boxing instructor Dyah Davis thinks Dustin Poirier will win his blockbuster trilogy bout against Conor McGregor by third-round KO.

The former interim lightweight champion will face The Notorious in a rematch a week later on Saturday in the main event of UFC 264 Live in Las Vegas.

Poirier, 32, annihilated McGregor in their January rematch, breaking his lead leg with vicious calf kicks before finishing him with an avalanche of punches halfway through the second round.

And Davis, who worked with Mike Brown and Thiago Alves to devise the winning game plan, expects a similar performance in the pair's series finale in Sin City.

He told MMA Junkie: "I'm using this approach as if I'm a lumberjack, since we're in the middle of a forest.

“The plan is to cut the tree down from the ground up, and that is precisely what we did. It's a battle.

"So we looked for any flaws we could exploit, and this was one of them.

"So we capitalized and went on from there, eventually finishing him with strikes.”

“I believe it'll be comparable to the second bout, maybe a little longer,” he said. I envision us executing and earning a KO win in the third round.”

McGregor's rematch with Poirier marked his long-awaited return to the lightweight category, which he had been away from for almost two years.

And Davis believes Poirier's current action will help him in his third meeting with the Irishman.

“Dustin is active, and I believe that certainly works in his favor,” he added.

“Conor has been out of the game for two, three years, so ring rust might be a problem, but listen, you're a warrior.

"Conor is a fighter first and foremost, and his duty as a fighter is to spend as much time as possible in the gym.

"Dustin trains and sharpens his tools.

"Even if he doesn't have a fight planned, he's still in the gym, training, and doing what he's supposed to do. As a combatant, he is still responsible.”

McGregor's defeat to Poirier has fueled his desire to deliver a career-best performance in his return to Las Vegas.

The UFC's first two-weight world champion said: "It hurt me to lose that night. And I need to get it back.

"Now I have a chance to avenge myself."

He added: "All of the marbles are on the line.

"I'm here training extremely hard. I'm ready to start my second session of the day. I'm already in fantastic shape.

"I defeated him in the first match [in 2014]. I lost the rematch.

"And then there's the trilogy, to which I need to make a few minor changes.

"I'm extremely sure of myself. I'm extremely focused and determined.

"And I'll go in there and give it my all, and I'll get it back on July 10th."