Conor McGregor will lose to Dustin Poirier again because he is no longer hungry enough to succeed in the cage.
That is the scathing view of welterweight title challenger Colby Covington ahead of the Irishman's third meeting with Poirier on Saturday.
The rivals will lock horns again in Las Vegas to settle their trilogy and to likely determine the next lightweight title challenger.
And Covington, himself vying for a second shot at 170lb champion Kamaru Usman, believes McGregor's best days are long behind him.
“Yeah, he’ll probably beat Conor again,” he told MMA Fighting. “But, I mean, what is that saying?
“You’re beating a guy that has no motivation left in the sport. And I love Conor. He’s had a great career, done great things in the sport, but [his] time’s up, too.
"It’s obvious that you’re not training every day, it’s obvious you’re not working on your craft, it’s obvious you’re working on other business deals to line your pockets and pad your bank account.
"It’s just not the same hungry Conor from a couple of years ago. It’s a different Conor towards the end of his journey and it’s not saying much to beat him anymore."
McGregor stopped Poirier in the first round of their first meeting in 2014 before going on to win first featherweight and then lightweight gold.
But his career hangs in the balance having won just one of this last three fights, a 40-second blow-out of Donald Cerrone last year.
And the MMA world appears split over who will have their hand raised at a sold-out T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
Lightweight contender Kevin Lee, for example, believes McGregor will beat Poirier - but then lose to champion Charles Oliveira.
"I see Conor maybe winning this one," he said. "I think he will make the adjustments and win it, but regardless, either one of them I don’t think have the complete game to beat somebody like Charles Oliveira.
“With Charles you’ve got to be on your P’s and Q’s the whole time and you’ve got to have the skills behind it.
"I think Dustin has had a lot of fights and he is kind of coming into his own, but I think he is starting to hit a plateau period where he kind of does what he does.
"But there is no new wrinkles added to his game. You have to hit Charles with something new."
Eddie Alvarez, meanwhile, who has lost to both men, echoed Covington's thoughts about McGregor's hunger.
"Whoever wants that strap the most (will win)," he said. "Dustin’s never tasted it, Dustin’s never got the real belt, and I’d always have to go with the guy who hasn’t tasted it yet.
"Conor’s tasted the life, the hundreds of millions, he’s tasted the straps, all of it. So there’s something deep down in Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, deep down and desiring for these guys who haven’t tasted it that you would kind of lean it over toward their way."
