Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor is returning to the octagon to face #2 ranked lightweight Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23.

McGregor has fought just twice since 2016, losing the lightweight championship to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 and scoring a first round knockout against welterweight Donald Cerrone in January 2020. The UFC star has flirted with retirement but said he was "grateful" for his latest UFC booking.

https://ryanwhiteconference.hrsa.gov/ufc-257-fight-card-mcgregor-vs...
https://ryanwhiteconference.hrsa.gov/fight-island-conor-mcgregor-vs...
https://ryanwhiteconference.hrsa.gov/ufc-257-dan-hooker-vs-michael-...
https://ryanwhiteconference.hrsa.gov/mma-preview-jessica-eye-vs-joa...

McGregor beat Poirier with a first round knockout in their last meeting at UFC 178 in 2014, when both fighters were in the lighter featherweight class. Poirier has posted an impressive 8-2 record since that match, including a short reign as UFC's interim lightweight champion.

McGregor vs. Poirier will have lasting implications on UFC's lightweight division — reigning champion Nurmagomedov announced his own retirement after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, leaving the championship belt open for the taking. Gaethje remains the division's top ranked fighter, but lost a head-to-head match with Poirier in 2018. The winner of UFC 257 could face Gaethje in a title fight for the vacant lightweight championship.

https://ryanwhiteconference.hrsa.gov/ufc-257-preview-marina-rodrigu...
https://ryanwhiteconference.hrsa.gov/update-preview-poirier-vs-mcgr...
https://ryanwhiteconference.hrsa.gov/poirier-vs-mcgregor-ufc-257-sa...
https://ryanwhiteconference.hrsa.gov/conor-mcgregor-vs-dustin-poiri...

UFC 257 is merely hours away and Conor McGregor is back! After fighting just once last year -- mainly as a result of COVID-19 -- McGregor will enter the Octagon at UFC 257, against elite lightweight contender Dustin Poirier. The fighters have made weight. Now all that's left is for both McGregor and Poirier to make the walk.

With current UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov all but officially retired, this contest is seen by many as a title eliminator. Most likely the winner will fight for the belt later down the track in 2021, potentially against Charles Oliveira or the winner of Dan Hooker vs. Michael Chandler. 

Also looming in the wings is Nurmagomedov who, according to Dana White, will be watching UFC 257. If someone does something spectacular, reports say, he may come back for one more defence of his UFC lightweight title.

The fight takes place on the UFC's Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

This isn't the first time this fight has taken place. McGregor defeated Poirier comfortably the last time they fought over six years ago at UFC 178, but Poirier has improved dramatically since then. He defeated Max Holloway for the UFC interim lightweight championship, and put up a decent showing against Nurmagomedov, the current lightweight king. The undefeated Nurmagomedov also defeated McGregor in 2018.

Despite Poirier's improvements, most oddsmakers have McGregor as a clear favorite in this bout. His destruction of Donald Cerrone in 2020, combined with the style matchup, has most people seeing this as a favorable fight for McGregor. Poirier is primarily a boxer and McGregor is still the sharpest striker at 155 pounds. 

McGregor also appears to be in phenomenal shape and, by most reports, is as motivated as he's been since his legendary first run at featherweight. We could be in for something special with this performance. McGregor has predicted he'll win this fight inside 60 seconds.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the UFC's Inside the Octagon series, which breaks down the match-up. The McGregor vs Poirier one is already online.

UFC 257 will be held at the UFC Fight Island campus on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Fans will not be allowed to attend due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the venue makes it easier for UFC to host international fighters and safely quarantine staff. A total of three events will be held at UFC Fight Island in January.

UFC 257 is scheduled for tomorrow night, Saturday, January 23 at 10 p.m. ET, with the prelims starting two hours earlier. The main event is a highly anticipated one, with Dustin Poirier once again squaring off against UFC Featherweight and Lightweight champion Conor McGregor. The PPV event is available exclusively through ESPN+. If you don't have the sports streaming service, new subscribers can score a great deal on a bundle that includes access to the UFC 257 PPV and a year's subscription to ESPN+. Read on for the details.

The Poirier and McGregor fight in the main event of UFC 257 will actually be the second time the two have faced off in the octagon. The first time they fought was at UFC 178 back in 2014. McGregor won that bout with a TKO in the first round.

As for the other fights, here's what's scheduled (though as always, matches are subject to change).

ESPN+ is available pretty much anywhere you can stream video. You can find the app on many smart TVs, as well as iOS and android devices, Roku, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, as well as Oculus. There's a good chance you have at least one of those things lying around somewhere.

https://www.thewyco.com/news/what-to-watch-as-mcgregor-and-poirier-...

https://www.thewyco.com/news/ufc-257-predictions-conor-mcgregor-vs-...