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Conor McGregor returns to the octagon on January 23rd, 2021 at UFC 257. He takes on former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier. The fight is scheduled to take place at the Etihad arena in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
UFC 257 will also serve as the first pay-per-view of 2021. The event will wrap up a fun week for fight fans which constitutes three fight cards, several poolside parties and activities for those who can make it to Abu Dhabi.
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Conor McGregor returns to the octagon after a gap of nearly one year. He defeated Donald Cerrone via a 40 second TKO in January 2020 at UFC 246. The fight was Conor’s only UFC bout in 2020.
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His UFC 257 bout will be the second time he takes on Dustin Poirier. Conor McGregor took on Poirier for the first time in 2014 at UFC 178. McGregor would win the fight via KO in the first round needing less than two minutes to dismantle ‘The Diamond’.
However, the fight was at featherweight and this time the two fighters will be competing at 155-pounds
Fans of ‘The Notorious One’ will be looking for a repeat of the first fight. Bookmakers too think that Conor will be the favorite as the odds put him at -255.
Poirier, though, has embraced the tag of the underdog. His game has improved massively since 2014 and he will pose a real threat to McGregor. He starts as a +215 underdog on the books.
Irrespective, the fight promises to be an intriguing affair and fight fans are counting down days to UFC 257.
What does 2021 have in store for Conor McGregor?
UFC President Dana White has already hinted that the winner of the Dustin Poirier – Conor McGregor contest will fight for the UFC lightweight title.
The circumstances have taken a full circle as it was Conor who had been stripped of the title before Khabib Nurmagomedov began his reign as the champion. Conor has since fought for the title once losing a lopsided contest against the Dagestani.
McGregor will see the fight as an opportunity to reclaim the gold and end the year as a champion.
Rumor street has been abuzz with recent developments at lightweight. It is speculated that Justin Gaethje, currently ranked No. 1 in the lightweight rankings, will face Charles Oliveira soon.
The winner of that fight should compete against the winner of McGregor – Poirier encounter for the title.
McGregor will be looking to capture the gold again as he did in 2016. His second-round TKO win against Eddie Alvarez made him the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history.
