Five of Conor McGregor’s best UFC fights
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will settle their rivalry tonight when they clash in the main event of UFC 264.
The bout marks their third meeting, with McGregor having knocked out Poirier in the first round when they fought at featherweight in 2014, before the American exacted his revenge this January by handing the Irishman the first KO loss of his career. That lightweight contest in Abu Dhabi ended in the second round, with many pundits predicting another early finish as the pair go head-to-head in a sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor (22-5) has just one win in the last four-and-a-half years – a 40-second demolition of Donald Cerrone in January 2020 – while Poirier (27-6, 1 no contest) has seven victories and one defeat in that same period of time. The ‘Diamond’ has established himself as the No 1 lightweight contender in the UFC, and – having previously held interim gold – could have fought for the vacant undisputed title at 155lbs this spring. Instead, Poirier opted for a money fight with McGregor, though a crack at Charles Oliveira’s belt awaits the Louisianan if he wins this evening.
Despite McGregor’s patchy recent record, however, his profile likely guarantees him a title shot next if he is to beat Poirier. Follow live updates from UFC 264 below.
McGregor vs Poirier: Weigh-in results
Thankfully, both men made weight this week without any trouble.
They both hit the 156lbs limit for a lightweight non-title bout.
Alex Pattle10 July 2021 23:45
McGregor vs Poirier: Fiery press conference
We spoke earlier about McGregor’s old antics.
At the pre-fight press conference, he kicked out at Poirier, much like he did to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018…
Alex Pattle10 July 2021 23:20
McGregor vs Poirier: Remembering their first fight
We spoke to Bruce Buffer, Ariel Helwani, Megan Olivi and Peter Carroll about the lead-up to the first fight between McGregor and Poirier, the night of the bout itself, and what followed for both fighters…
Lots of great anecdotes in this one:
Alex Pattle10 July 2021 22:50
McGregor vs Poirier: Prelim coverage
We’ll be getting started properly this evening once the prelims get under way.
For more info on all the timings for tonight’s event, read our useful article here:
Alex Pattle10 July 2021 22:31
McGregor vs Poirier: McGregor’s return to old ways adds pressure
And here’s our take on McGregor’s return to his old antics, which we saw at the pre-fight press conference and ceremonial weigh-ins.
Alex Pattle10 July 2021 22:30
McGregor vs Poirier: Interview with Poirier’s coach
Here is our exclusive interview with Mike Brown, head coach of Dustin Poirier.
Alex Pattle10 July 2021 22:29
McGregor vs Poirier: How to watch
Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch UFC 264 tonight.
We’ll be providing live updates of the entire card and the prelims before that, right here.
Alex Pattle10 July 2021 22:28
McGregor vs Poirier: Welcome!
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of UFC 264: Poirier vs McGregor 3!
The main event of tonight’s card marks the third meeting between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, with McGregor having knocked out Poirier in the first round when they fought at featherweight in 2014, before the American exacted his revenge this January by handing the Irishman the first KO loss of his career.
That lightweight contest in Abu Dhabi ended in the second round, with many pundits predicting another early finish as the pair go head-to-head in a sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Alex Pattle10 July 2021 22:27