This Saturday there is a lot more on the line than just bragging rights in the UFC’s lightweight division. There is a sweepstake at potential gold being contested for as Dana White’s “Announcement” last Saturday about Khabibs early retirement left more questions than answers. Dana broke the “news” on ABC’s first main card Saturday giving a less then a clear answer.
“Basically, the way that he feels right now is that he’s accomplished everything he needed to accomplish,” White said. “‘I’m gonna watch this fight if these guys do something spectacular and make me want to come back.’ I have a feeling if somebody delivers, he’ll be back.”
With the opportunity to lure “The Eagle” back or if the title becomes vacant, there are no better two men to take on the challenge than Conor McGregor, and Dustin Poirier who will rematch each other in UFC 257’s main event Saturday. Their first fight happened over 6 years ago back in 2014 at a weight class down and since then both men have been on their own paths. McGregor has gone 6-2 in the UFC also capturing two titles(145 & 155) since, and Poirier himself has gone 10-2 in the UFC since also picking up an interim LW belt during that run so I wouldn’t expect the same fight or the same fighters to show up this time. Neither does Poirier as he spoke with Bleacher Report he gave his prediction for the fight coming up Saturday.
“I’m going to be victorious,” he said. “I don’t know which way it’s going to be, but I feel like I can grind him out, I can submit him, and I can knock him out. I’ll take whatever is open. I’ll find an opening and finish the fight.”
McGregor himself once again gave his usual mystic mac prediction “I love Dustin, he’s a good fighter. Maybe he’s even a great fighter, but great is still levels below me. I will knock Dustin out inside 60 seconds,” he said on a UFC promotional video.
Conor McGregor: “I like Dustin. I think he’s a good fighter. He’s even a great fighter. But great is still levels below me. I’ll knock Dustin out inside 60 seconds.” ⌚ #UFC257pic.twitter.com/0PPqRdkTCA
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) January 11, 2021
Conor Mcgregor enters the bout with a pro record of 22-4(10-2 UFC) riding a one-fight winning streak.
Dustin Poirier enters the bout with a pro record of 26-6 (18-5 UFC) riding a one-fight winning streak.
My prediction: First round starts with Poirier looking to pressure McGregor and even looking for a takedown at some point, but about 3-4 mins in they both engage in a boxing exchange that sees McGregor clip Poirier with a left-hand uppercut into a right head kick combo that folds Poirier to the canvas and Conor follows up with big shots to get the first-round finish.
