“First off I want to say Conor took this result professionally. We’re 1-1 and maybe we’re going to have to do it again. I’m happy with the place I am. I’m happy with the face I see in the mirror.”

The win – as a wild +250 underdog with the bookies – puts Poirier (27-6) in the driver’s seat in a division that’s a bit of a mystery, given the on-going retirement for most recent champ Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) and the general consensus that it was there for the taking for McGregor (22-5).

Poirier was adamant he is now the man.

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“I felt like this was the title fight,” he said. “If Khabib’s not coming back then I’m the champion.”

The fight had started pretty much as predicted. McGregor threw a left, then a right, and he controlled the centre of the cage. But early on there was a probing low leg kick from Poirier, then another and then a redness started to show on the calf of the Irishman.

By the second round the pace had intensified and a few McGregor bullets had pierced the Poirier defence. But there came those leg kicks and Poirier had started to land up top as well

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Then came a wobble from the Irishman as another low kick landed – and Poirier pounced with a flurry. It was all over.

“The goal was to be technical and to pick my shots, not brawl at all,” said Poirier. “I had him hurt and I went a little crazy. I can box, I can kick-box very technically but I have a tendency of getting a little crazy and trying to hurt guys and getting out of position. I get myself in trouble that I shouldn’t be.

“I think I showed a little bit of counter boxing here. I know Max Holloway thinks he’s the best [at that] but I got two wins over the kid. Nothing but respect to him but I beat him twice. I felt I was boxing pretty good with Conor. He hit me with some good counter twos but I just don’t give a f***. I’m here to win.”

After 12 months of events with little to no crowd at all, because of the continued scourge of the global coronavirus pandemic, the 2,000 allowed inside the brand new Etihad Area sounded like they were 20,000, or more.

Last time out – at UFC 246 in Las Vegas last January 18 – McGregor had moved to welterweight and had needed 40 second to brush aside an outclassed Donald Cerrone (36-15). With his loss to Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in 2018 being the Irishman’s only other fight in four years, there was some degree of trepidation in terms of just what the world would see on Sunday.

He said afterwards he realised now he needed more fights and more time in the cage than he’d experienced, having had just those two fights in the four previous years, before Sunday.

And he took the loss as best he might.

“The low calf kick was very good but Dustin is some fighter,” said McGregor. “I’ll dust it off and come back because that’s what I’ll do. I’ll take my licks.”

When this pair had met previously, the Americans was completely overwhelmed by McGregor at UFC 178 in September 2014. That bout ended in just 106 seconds, and under a flurry of McGregor strikes.

But Poirier had said he had used the loss as motivation ever since, and the past few years have seen the American grow in both strength and in confidence as he defeated the likes of former champ Eddie Alvarez (30-7, one no contest) and the now top-ranked Justin Gaethje (22-3) – both via knockout.

McGregor had arrived in Abu Dhabi on a multi-million dollar yacht, and with an aura of almost eerie calm, as compared to previous incarnations of “Mystic Mac’’. Whereas before McGregor was confidence and arrogance personified in the lead up to a bout, this past week saw him pay significant due respect both to his opponent and to the organisation his success has helped build into a multi-billion dollar global enterprise.

The only real bite to McGregor’s pre-fight appearances came with the mention of Nurmagomedov, and there’s no escaping the fact that the previous loss still niggles away at the Irishman. Now he’ll have to get in line – if indeed Nurmagomedov ever does un-retire – as Poirier holds all the cards, and a cool US$50,000 thanks to a Performance of the NIght bonus.