Conor McGregor’s coach says Dustin Poirier knows he is fighting someone who can ‘shut off his lights very, very rapidly’

CONOR McGREGOR'S coach said Dustin Poirier will be unable to erase the memory of being knocked out by the Irishman.

McGregor stopped Poirier in under two minutes of their first fight in 2014, after connecting with a left hand around the side of the head.

Now, they renew their rivalry as they rematch in the UFC 257 headliner on January 23 on Fight Island.

But McGregor's head trainer John Kavanagh warned Poirier will be scarred by the experience of their initial encounter.

Kavanagh told : “He’s fighting a different animal than any of [his previous opponents], somebody with true one punch knockout power that he’s already felt.

"I think you could spend a lifetime going to sports psychologists and talking to this person and that person — that’s not going to have been erased from his mind.

"He knows he’s facing somebody who can shut off his lights very, very rapidly and now is a lot more powerful and a lot more experienced than he was even then.

“It’s a tough uphill battle for Dustin, but Dustin’s a phenomenal fighter, a great fighter and I know him and Conor, they’ve got certain agreements on charity things outside which is great.

"I think that’s what professional sports should be about anyway. But yeah, I’m really looking forward to this one.”

McGregor, 32, won the war of words against Poirier, 31, who admitted he struggled to keep his emotions intact six years ago.

But Kavanagh admitted there will be a more respectful build up ahead of the second installment, with McGregor's talking having been done in the cage already.

He said: “There’s nothing to be said when you’ve really badly hurt someone like that so fast.

“It’s not like it was a decision win or some sort of argument to be made or it was a bit back and forth and Conor got a shot off, it was a bad night for Dustin.

"It was very one-sided and when you look at some of the shots he’s absorbed.

"Now he’s a bigger man now, and there’s maybe some argument he can absorb more shots now but he’s fighting a bigger man as well."