Conor McGregor's next fight was one of the most awaited UFC calls of the year. The Irishman's last performance was back in January, when he defeated Donald Cerrone in under 40 seconds at UFC 246.
Conor McGregor will now have a rematch against Dustin Poirier. The fight announcement made by UFC boss Dana White came among talks of retirement from "The Notorious". The first time the two met in the Octagon was in 2014, when McGregor TKO'd Poirier in the first round.
Since the fight announcement, Conor McGregor has been busy training with his team in a private camp in Portugal. Besides his coach and training partners, the Irish superstar brought family members and friends to the Algarve region in the south of the Iberian Peninsula country. It is reported that McGregor is training a variety of fight styles ahead of his comeback against Poirier.
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Conor McGregor recently posted a picture on one of his social media accounts showing off his excellent shape ahead of the bout.
"155 and they run."
Will Conor McGregor's fight be the first with fans since the pandemic started?
It is still unclear whether UFC 257 will have fans allowed in or not. The hope was that the situation would be under control by next year, and the gates could be open. But, as the time of the fight approaches fast, it seems unlikely that crowds will be permitted at any events.
Fight Island would be the ideal location to host Conor McGregor's anticipated return, but it is in the UFC's interest that the event should be held at the biggest venue possible whenever he fights. "The Notorious" is the promotion's biggest seller in both PPV and live gate audiences.
When was the last UFC with a live audience?
UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero was the last UFC event to feature a live audience. The event happened in Paradise, Nevada, with a crowd of over 15,000 people.
The bout between reigning champion Israel Adesanya and challenger Yoel Romero was decided by a unanimous decision call from the judges, after the fight struggled to find an end after the five rounds were over.