UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 | ESPN FightCenter
Saturday 01.23.2021 at 10:00 PM ET
U.S. Broadcast: Pay Per View | Prelims: ESPN
Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ownership: Endeavor
Venue: UFC Fight Island
Location: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Enclosure: Octagon
MMA Bouts: 7
McGregor,
32, reached the pinnacle of his MMA career Nov. 12, 2016 when, at UFC
205, the then-featherweight champion knocked out Eddie Alvarez to claim
the lightweight title and become the promotion’s first simultaneous
two-division champ. In the time since, McGregor has fought three times –
including a boxing match he lost to Floyd Mayweather – while being
occupied with a litany of arrests and legal troubles, as well as running
his Proper No. Twelve whiskey business.
Prior to his January win
over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, McGregor spoke of wanting to have a
2020 “season,” complete with four fights this calendar year. Things
didn’t pan out because of the coronavirus pandemic, but on Thursday,
McGregor signed a bout agreement to make his return against Dustin
Poirier in the UFC 257 main event Jan. 23.
By the time he steps
into the octagon, McGregor will have been off for 371 days. Before that,
it was 469 days between losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 and
his 40-second finish of Cerrone.
All this is to say questions about how McGregor will perform after another long layoff would be understandable.
“Conor
is always dangerous,” UFC president Dana White said during an
appearance on “The Jim Rome Show” on CBS Sports Radio. “From what I’ve
seen of him on social media, it looks like he’s in great shape, looks
like he’s training hard. Even before this, he was training to do some
type of charity bike event. So the guy’s in great shape.”
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McGregor
(22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) had his way with an aging Cerrone, but how will
McGregor fare in a rematch with Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) in his
prime? The two first fought in September 2014 as featherweights, with
McGregor winning by first-round knockout at UFC 178. Certainly, results
suggest that both are better fighters now, but who has improved more?
Poirier, 31, clearly has more experience.
Since UFC 178, Poirier
has made 13 UFC appearances to McGregor’s eight. The lack of activity
comes into clearer view in recent years, with Poirier making eight
octagon appearances since 2017 while McGregor’s sat mostly on the
sidelines. Poirier’s evolution led to an eventual interim 155-pound
championship win over Max Holloway in April 2019.
White suggested Poirier is a more dangerous opponent for McGregor this time around.
“Poirier’s
wanted this fight for so long now, the rematch with Conor,” White said.
“He’s a much better fighter than he was the first time they fought.”
Good enough to win and get some revenge? UFC 257 will provide the answer.
Former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor will return to the octagon in January for a second fight with Dustin Poirier.
Irishman McGregor, 32, retired in June for the third time in four years.
Dana White says Conor McGregor is 'always dangerous.' How will long layoff affect UFC 257 return
UFC president Dana White said "it was never a concern" that McGregor would not sign a deal to fight on 23 January at UFC 257.
"If Conor McGregor says he wants to fight, Conor McGregor shows up," White told Barstool Sports
White also said he hopes fans will be able to attend.
The
UFC has hosted events without fans since the Covid-19 outbreak at
White's private Fight Island, but he is hoping for an "international
crowd" for McGregor's return.
"All the things people have seen
all over the world with Fight Island, now you will get the opportunity
to come there and be a part of it," White said. "That's what I'm
shooting for."
McGregor beat Donald Cerrone in his most recent fight at UFC 246 in January, which gave him a 22-4 record in mixed martial arts.
He
said in September he would come out of retirement for a boxing fight
with 41-year-old former world champion Manny Pacquiao in the Middle
East.
McGregor beat American Poirier, 31, in the opening round of their first meeting in Las Vegas in 2014.
Poirier beat Dan Hooker on points in his most recent fight in June
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