The conventional wisdom on Saturday’s UFC 257 main event is the Conor McGregor has the edge in the early rounds, but things should be better for Dustin Poirer in the championship rounds, as McGregor has a pattern of fading in the later in the fight. However, McGregor’s coach Owen Roddy appeared recently on Submission Radio, and argued that that’s not going to happen.

I doubt it’s gonna go that far,” said Roddy. “But if it does go to three, four and five, I think it’s gonna be worse for Poirier. I can’t see it going that far, but I think it would be worse for Poirier, if I’m being honest. Because you don’t want Conor hitting you for 25 minutes. And he can set the pace, Conor. He’s in phenomenal shape. He’s in the best shape I’ve ever seen in my life. Physically, mentally. So, I think it would be dangerous. I think Poirier would be taking a lot of dangerous blows if he managed to stay in there. But I still don’t see him staying in there.

Roddy argues this Best Version Ever McGregor would have beat division champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, too.

I think he would have knocked Khabib out,” said Roddy. “No disrespect to Khabib. Like, he’s a phenomenal wrestler and a phenomenal mixed martial artist, but in my opinion, Conor is the best fighter to ever do it, MMA fighter to ever do it. And when he’s on, nobody on planet earth can touch him. And yeah, I think he would have knocked him out.

McGregor is predicting a quick KO vs. Poirier, but Roddy said the length of time it will take win hinges on Poirier.

I think it comes down to strategy and whatever strategy Poirier comes in with,” said Roddy. “So, it’s hard to say. If he comes in looking to exchange, it will be quick, I’d imagine. If he comes in and runs, it might take a little bit longer. Poirier has improved an awful lot. I’m not trying to disrespect Poirier, he’s a phenomenal fighter, but Conor has also improved an awful lot as well, and I think Conor has improved more than Poirier. So, I can only foresee the same kind of outcome.

McGregor has shown a remarkable ability to trash talk his way into his opponent’s heads. It’s not infallible of course. He got out insulted by Nate Diaz (“Touch butt in the park”) and Khabib Nurmagomedov showed his mastery of trash talk during a fight, famously beating out of McGregor the line, “It’s only business.” Roddy was asked if McGregor would trash talk Poirier this week.

To be honest, when Conor was coming up, he had a point to prove as well,” began the coach. “He believed in himself, we believed in him, but the rest of the world didn’t, see. And when you have this young kid, very confident, very sure of himself, a lot of people don’t like that, because we all want to be like that, but it’s very hard for you to come across that way. It takes somebody that’s really sure of themselves, really, really confident themselves. Conor was that person, he had a lot to prove, and he proved it all. He doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody anymore. He doesn’t have to say he’s gonna do this and do that. He’s done it all.

“Now, if somebody talks s*** or if somebody’s saying s***, you’ll get that back, you’ll get that quick wit. That’s all still there. But it’s just, he doesn’t need to do it. And, the way the last fight went, there was a lot of respect between Conor and Cerrone. And there’s definitely mutual respect between Conor and Poirier. So, there’s no need for it. But rest assured, if Poirier was to come out and start giving Conor a lot of crap and if that’s the way it had have went, Conor would’ve been on top of him. Let’s just say that. But there’s no need. There’s no need for it. Both fighters respect each other, and they’re just gonna let their hands do that talking on Saturday night.