PAGE B8 Tuesday, July 13, 2021 S GILLETTE NEWS RECORD S GILLETTE, WYOMING

SPORTS MMA Back in charge: Neary wants Poirier thriving as McGregor’s nemesis to start fresh as head coach Continued from Page B7 fortable with and this kind of all came together.” By GREG BEACHAM the challenge of beating a pow- seem fresh, coaching in Gillette will always be ASSOCIATED PRESS er-punching Irishman who still Williston allows Neary to home to Neary and his lags well behind the world’s best look forward rather than family. But with no col- LAS VEGAS — The fight- back. er who erased most of Conor fighters in almost every other lege basketball program MMA discipline except self-pro- “Obviously, I wanted to to lead anymore and the McGregor’s mystique this year be a head coach again,” is a polite family man from motion. future of Gillette College Neary said. “I wanted to Louisiana who makes his own Poirier had little trouble with athletics still looking bleak, be a head coach in a good hot sauce, does extensive char- McGregor in both fights this Williston State College is year, comfortably overcom- ity work and would prefer to situation that I felt com- the best thing for him. ing everything McGregor did compete in empty gyms. — both legal and not-so-legal, Dustin Poirier is a curious as when McGregor stuck his choice to be the archenemy of a fingers into the cuff of Poirier’s charismatic international super- gloves Saturday night to pull his Task force: Panel is hoping star. Yet in two fights over the opponent into his up-kicks. past six months, Poirier has bro- “I’m proud of the perfor- ken McGregor’s leg, beaten him mance, but I am proud of main- to fix statewide problems bloody and reduced the former taining the mindset through two-division UFC champion to Continued from Page B7 AP Photo/John Locher all the craziness, all the talk, than trying to push his way a snarling, desperate antihero into the headlines by tear- all the noise that’s surround- of being unduly influenced who refuses to accept the evi- Conor McGregor tries to avoid a kick from Dustin Poirier ing down the efforts of the ing me when I’m coming into by the state’s outfitting dence of his sporting decline during a UFC 264 lightweight bout Saturday in Las Vegas. these fights,” Poirier said. “I Game and Fish and the industry, sometimes with presented to him by his unlikely don’t need that. I’m trying to be governor’s office. harsh rhetoric. nemesis. want to be a celebrity, and the McGregor, who has built a for- a light. I’m trying to help peo- “Everybody else is trying Poirier beat McGregor again 32-year-old lightweight is weary tune off a persona that’s proving ple. My goal is to provide for For example, he’s filed to find the middle ground” Saturday night at UFC 264, of the energy-draining mental more durable than his com- my family, and with these same a lawsuit arguing that to debate the issues, Flitner earning a TKO victory when gamesmanship of fight pro- bat sports abilities. In between hands that I beat these guys two commissioners were said. McGregor was unable to begin motion — particularly when his classless comments about down with, lift my city up, lift wrong to donate com- The task force is also the second round on his frac- the bombastic McGregor is his Poirier in the cage, McGregor people in need up.” missioner complimentary looking into limited quota tured shin. opponent. made sure to plug his offi- That toxicity was thick in licenses to the Wyoming draws for hard-to-get Although he couldn’t do While he accepted the back- cial post-fight afterparty at the T-Mobile Arena. A jingoistic Outfitters and Guides licenses for ungulate spe- much in the cage against Poirier, to-back bouts for their huge Wynn casino before he headed crowd that had chanted “U-S- Association. cies. McGregor put on a show after- financial rewards, the tedious off for leg surgery. A!” for every other American When the attorney “My thoughts are going ward. A graceful loser earlier in toll from McGregor’s months McGregor is 1-3 in MMA and fighter on the UFC 264 card general’s office asked a to be looking at a waiting his mixed martial arts career, of trash talk was obvious in 0-1 in boxing since late 2016. produced loud boos for Poirier judge to dismiss the suit, period on those on those McGregor inexplicably claimed Poirier’s voice when he antici- He turns 33 on Wednesday, and after his victory. Shaul sent out an opinion tough-to-draw ‘type one’ he had been winning the fight pated his trip home to Lafayette by the time his leg heals, it will “It’s noise,” Poirier said with a piece questioning wheth- licenses,” Livingston said. — all three judges scored the for some well-earned rest and be a half-decade since his last shrug. “I don’t really overthink er Wyoming Gov. Mark “Hypothetically, if you only round for Poirier, with two quietude. victory over a relevant oppo- that stuff anymore. Thank you Gordon, who oversees draw one of those licenses, giving it to Poirier 10-8 — and “I don’t even like this (stuff) nent. He is living on the sports for buying a ticket.” the AG, was “yet another you might have to sit out crudely insulted both Poirier anymore, dude,” Poirier said world’s memories of his remark- But a few minutes later, corrupted puppet of the for three years before you and his wife before being car- Saturday night. “I just scrap able rise, yet it seems likely he’ll Poirier thought back wistfully Outfitters.” can apply again.” ried from the cage. because I’m good at it and I like remain the UFC’s biggest star on his victory over Dan Hooker Many politicians and Flitner said the task “He got what he had coming to fight, but all this other stuff, until he retires. in June 2020 in front of only TV officials in the state say force might also be look- to him,” Poirier said. “Karma is all the talk ... I just come here to For Poirier, the challenge cameras and a few dozen peo- they wish Shaul would ing at making proposals a mirror.” get the fight.” of filtering McGregor’s noise ple at the UFC’s Apex gym on its look for ways to debate in to change the allocation of Poirier claims he doesn’t It’s never just a fight for seems to be even bigger than corporate campus. a positive manner, rather landowner licenses.

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