Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3 Booked For UFC 264

The UFC's year on PPV began with the blockbuster McGregor vs. Poirier rematch at UFC 257, and on July 10, they're going to run it back for the anticipated rubber match.

Conor McGregor first met Dustin Poirier in the featherweight division, as the Irishman was making his meteoric rise to superstardom. After copious amounts of trash-talk, including saying he would knock out Poirier in the first round, the "Notorious" lived up to those words, starching The Diamond in 1:46 at UFC 178.

Fast-forward to 2021, and both McGregor and Poirier are different men and fighters. They've moved up a division to lightweight (155), with McGregor also plying his trade at welterweight for fights with Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone. Poirier committed to 155 after struggling with the 145lb weight cut for some time, and found a new lease on life not depleting his body so much, defeating the likes of Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway en route to a top 5 ranking. Also, both men had matured with age, becoming fathers, and the trash-talk was practically non-existent for the re-match.

At UFC 257, McGregor had a good first round with a boxing heavy approach, but crumbled in the second after Poirier slowed him down with leg kicks, before landing heavy punches in the face to give Conor his first ever KO loss in MMA. McGregor has attributed the loss to his boxing-centric gameplan, which was due to having an eye on another boxing super-fight with Manny Pacquiao. Both McGregor and Poirier have wanted this trilogy match since the second fight was called- McGregor wanting redemption, and Poirier apparently recognising the box office appeal that being in another Conor McGregor fight brings.

On July 10 (July 11 in Australia) at UFC 264, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will clash in one of the biggest fights of the year. Will Conor make the necessary adjustments, or will Poirier prove to be the better, evolved fighter in 2021? Whatever the result, it feels like a fight with guaranteed excitement!