It had to happen sooner or later. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC has been running events at a breakneck pace in 2020. But for the first time in months, they’ve got multiple weeks lined up without an event. Which means it’s a great time to get fans hyped for the next big card.
To that end, the UFC just dropped a fresh promo for UFC 257. The PPV card goes down on January 23rd next year and will be headlined by what promises to be a violent rematch between former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and former double-champ Conor McGregor. Check out the video below:
Poirier and McGregor first met in the Octagon back in 2014, for a featherweight bout, at a point when the ‘Notorious’ was just getting started in his rise to superstardom. Despite Poirier’s reputation as a game opponent and a tough out, McGregor rolled through the Louisiana native in just 1:46 on the first round.
After that fight, Poirier returned to the lightweight division where he’s lost just twice in his last 13 bouts. Late last year, Poirier’s strong run of success landed him a title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Poirier failed to secure gold in that championship bid, he’s since bounced back with a decision win over Dan Hooker this last June.
For McGregor, the years since he first faced Poirier have led to much greater heights. Two fights after KOing the ‘Diamond’ McGregor picked up the interim UFC featherweight title. The unified belt followed shortly afterward, off the back of a remarkable 13 second KO of longtime divisional king Jose Aldo. McGregor made a brief swipe at welterweight for a pair of bouts against Nate Diaz, before settling into his own lightweight run with another championship winning KO of Eddie Alvarez. In 2018, McGregor suffered his own defeat at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov, and has only fought once in the years since—picking up a quick showcase victory over Donald Cerrone in January of 2020.
Will history repeat itself in 2021? Or has Poirier’s steadily improving boxing game finally put him on par (or even past) McGregor? Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news and notes as the event approaches.
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