Last Saturday saw the return of Conor McGregor to UFC after over a year away from the Octagon, however, it did not go to plan.In a rematch of their 2014 fight, Dustin Poirier exacted revenge by brutally stopping McGregor in the second round. The Irishman was forced to take a number of leg kicks throughout the contest, leading to him suffering severe damage to his right shin. Having slipped to his third defeat since joining UFC, McGregor had to limp back to his dressing room with his career seemingly in tatters.Yet, despite the crushing loss, McGregor was in good spirits backstage, accepting the defeat with admirable grace.In the week since, footage has emerged of several conversations between McGregor and Poirier after the bout, with the Irish icon quick to praise the performance of his opponent.One clip which stood out in the immediate aftermath was released by the UFC on their official Twitter page. Take a look at the wholesome moment below.

Taken from the franchise's post-fight show 'The Thrill and the Agony', McGregor shares a moment with Poirier's wife Jolie. McGregor offers congratulations to Jolie, complimenting Dustin on an "amazing fight."

McGregor's tone is in stark contrast to the trash-talking which went hand-in-hand with his rise to the top of the sport. 

The southpaw earned a reputation during his earlier years of getting into the heads of his opponents to earn a psychological advantage. This strategy seemed to work the first time against Poirier and when he demolished Jose Aldo in 13 seconds in 2015.

However, McGregor has appeared more respectful of his rivals in recent times. He was happy to praise Poirier before and after their latest clash.

Some may argue that this has taken away McGregor's edge. He certainly failed to impress in his latest outing. But the former two-weight UFC champion insists that he will return soon, and there are still plenty of mouthwatering contests out there for him.

Trilogy bouts with Poirier or Nate Diaz remain possibilities, while a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov is not completely out of the question just yet, despite McGregor's latest setback.

Can McGregor bounce back or is this the beginning of the end for the 'Notorious'?

Fans around the world will be tuning in to find out.