Conor McGregor said he's 'gutted' after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Dustin Poirier

• Conor McGregor said he's "gutted" to have suffered his first knockout loss in the UFC.
• Dustin Poirier knocked McGregor out cold in the second round of a Fight Island match in Abu Dhabi.
• The Irishman said it's tough to take but he can't expect to compete as a part-time fighter and will need to refocus.

FIGHT ISLAND - Conor McGregor said he's "gutted" after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Dustin Poirier.

"It's a tough one to swallow," McGregor said.

Though McGregor had a good opening round in front of a lively, partial fan allowance inside the Etihad Arena on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, Poirier secured a legacy-defining win Saturday by putting McGregor away in the second round.

McGregor was knocked out cold, took a while to recover his senses, and was limping when he was eventually back on his feet.

The Irishman, a former two-weight UFC champion, had just 40 seconds of Octagon time since his fourth-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

He attributed this latest loss to inactivity.

"It's hard to overcome inactivity over long periods of time," McGregor said.

"The leg kicks, the low calf kick was very good, the leg was dead. And I wasn't as comfortable as I needed to be.

"Dustin is some fighter. I'll have to dust it off and come back … and that's what I'll do."

When asked if he'll continue to fight, McGregor said: "Of course, I need activity. You don't get away with being inactive in this business.

"I'll take my licks. I'm gutted."

Read more:

Dustin Poirier just knocked out Conor McGregor in a stunning Fight Island upset

MMA fan favorite Amanda Ribas appeared to be knocked out twice in upset loss to Marina Rodriguez

The death of The Notorious: The Conor McGregor of old is no more

Khabib Nurmagomedov gives another clear indication he's retired forever and won't fight again in the UFC

A UFC fighter has been fired after breaching Fight Island's bubble by giving his COVID passport to an outsider who 'shimmied' across 4 balconies to deliver a mystery bag

Conor McGregor showed he's the UFC's version of Tiger Woods by chartering a yacht to Fight Island

Following in his cousin Khabib's footsteps, Umar Nurmagomedov made a UFC debut to remember by scoring a second-round submission

Calvin Kattar hit with a 6-month medical suspension from fighting after suffering one of the most brutal beatings in UFC history