UFC 178 results, photos: Conor McGregor stops Dustin Poirier in first round

LAS VEGAS – A left straight – and a few more left hands for good measure – ended the argument over whether Conor McGregor (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was worthy of fighting Dustin Poirier (16-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC).

The Irish featherweight earned his fourth straight UFC win, putting his most significant opponent in Poirier with a flurry of punches in the first round.

The featherweight bout was part of the main card of today’s UFC 178 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

“I don’t just knock them out, I pick the round,” McGregor said shortly after the referee intervened at the 1:46 mark of the first round.

McGregor then lobbied for a title shot and offered to step in for current title contender Chad Mendes against champ Jose Aldo, adding, “That world title is next. We’ll whip them on home soil or away soil, it’s no problem.”

After opening the fight with a series of spinning kicks, McGregor admitted he tore ligaments in his thumb and was forced to focus on running and leg attacks. After Poirier responded with his fists, looking to counter, he began to open up with his hands.

The left straight came as Poirier ducked and appeared to clip the veteran behind the ear. More left hands followed as the veteran slumped face-first to the canvas. He protested the blow following the referee’s stoppage.

McGregor gets his second straight win since a knee injury sidelined him for nearly a year. A headliner two months prior against Diego Brando also ended in the first round. Poirier sees a three-fight streak snapped after a second-round TKO of Akira Corassani in April.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 178 results include:

• Conor McGregor def. Dustin Poirier via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:46
• Yoel Romero def. Tim Kennedy via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 0:58
• Cat Zingano def. Amanda Nunes via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 1:21
• Dominick Cruz def. Takeya Mizugaki via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:01
• Jorge Masvidal def. James Krause via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Stephen Thompson def. Patrick Cote via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Brian Ebersole def. John Howard via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Kevin Lee def. Jon Tuck via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
• Manny Gamburyan def. Cody Gibson via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 4:56

For complete coverage of UFC 178, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Matt Erickson contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)