The new Etihad Arena will host its third UFC event in the last eight days, with UFC 257’s main card set for 7:00 am local time in Abu Dhabi, so that North American viewers can catch the action in prime time on Saturday. Approximately 2,000 fans will be able to watch the action, as the main event will feature a rematch between Dustin Poirier, one-time interim UFC Lightweight Champion, and the one-time UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor. McGregor won the first meeting back at UFC 178, in 2014, via TKO in the first round. In the co-headliner, Dan Hooker meets Michael Chandler in another lightweight tilt.
We have the full fight card for you as well as UFC betting suggestions for the key bouts.
UFC 257: Poirier vs McGregor 2
Main Card (Pay Per View)
Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor (Lightweight)
Dan Hooker vs Michael Chandler (Lightweight)
Jessica Eye vs Joanne Calderwood (Women’s Flyweight)
Matt Frevola vs Ottman Azaitar (Lightweight)
Marina Rodriguez vs Amanda Ribas (Women’s Strawweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Nasrat Haqparast vs Arman Tsarukyan (Lightweight)
Brad Tavares vs Antonio Carlos Junior (Middleweight)
Julianna Pena vs Sara McMann (Women’s Bantamweight)
Khalil Rountree Jr vs Marcin Prachnio (Light Heavyweight)
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
Andrew Sanchez vs Makhmud Muradov (Middleweight)
Movsar Evloev vs Nik Lentz (Catchweight – 150 lbs)
Amir Albazi vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov (Flyweight)
Conor McGregor (22-4, 10-2 UFC, -300) vs Dustin Poirier (26-6, 18-5 UFC, +250) features McGregor in the Octagon for the first time in twelve months. Poirier looks for redemption here, hoping not just to make it longer than the 1:46 that it took McGregor to deliver the TKO in their first meeting, but also to get the win this time. Since then, Poirier has moved to the lightweight division and has gone 10-2, briefly holding an interim belt after taking down Max Holloway at UfC 236. McGregor became the first two-division simultaneous champion in UFC history when he defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.
McGregor holds the #4 ranking in the UFC lightweight division despite not having won a lightweight bout since 2016. A win here would likely get him a shot at the title, given that Khabib Nurmagomedov is likely to retire. McGregor had used mind games to get into Poirier’s head before their first meeting, but it is unlikely that this would work again, since Poirier has built a solid resume since then. HE fell to Nurmagomedov in a title fight that was the stuff of highlight reels, and his boxing skills have become elite. On the ground, his wrestling is solid, and he has black-belt jiu-jitsu skills to deploy. He can also bring striking power to finish opponents — and he can take punishment while he works on his opponents.
McGregor uses big kicks, a precise left hand and a lengthy jab to gain an advantage. He took down Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone by TKO in the first round, but Cerrone is not as difficult a foe as Poirier will be. If Poirier can get the fight on the ground, his chances elevate, but if they stay upright and make it a striking fight, McGregor is the better choice. Given how even this feels, I’m going with the value.
Final Prediction:
Poirier wins via decision
Dan Hooker (20-9, 10-5 UFC, -125) vs Michael Chandler (21-5, 0-0 UFC, +105) features UFC’s sixth-ranked lightweight (Hooker) against a talented newcomer (Chandler). Chandler has a long string of successes in the Bellator promotion, having held the Bellator lightweight title on two different occasions. His last two fights before coming to UFC have featured emphatic wins via knockout against Sidney Outlaw and Benson Henderson, both fights ending quickly. It is obvious that UFC has high hopes for him, as they have given him a tough opponent in his debut.
Hooker has developed versatility over time, showing a solid pressure striking game but also improving from range when he ran into opponents who could deal too much punishment for pressure to work. His loss to Dustin Poirier in June did call into question whether he has the stamina or cardio to fight as a champion in the five-round format. Chandler has the edge in terms of strength and quickness, and you also get the slight value edge with him.
Final Prediction:
Chandler wins via decision
UFC Betting Odds
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