The highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor is set to take place on January 23 when the former two-division champion meets an old rival in Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
A lot has changed since McGregor stopped Poirier in the first round over six years ago at UFC 178. McGregor became the biggest star in the UFC while becoming the first fighter to hold world titles in two divisions simultaneously. Meanwhile, Poirier built himself back up with marquee wins over Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, Dan Hooker and Justin Gaethje while also claiming the interim UFC lightweight title.
There is a lot at stake when these two meet again as Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired and vacated the UFC lightweight title. The winner will certainly be near the front of the line for the title while the loser falls to the back.
Will things be different this time around?
Below is a full rundown of the schedule for UFC 257, with details on the fight matchups, start times, odds and more for Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier.
When is Conor McGregor’s next fight in 2021?
Date: Saturday, Jan. 23
Early prelims: 6:30 p.m. ET
Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
PPV main card: 10 p.m. ET
The early prelims for UFC 257 will begin on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET, the prelims will start on ESPN+ and ESPN2 at 8 p.m., and the pay-per-view main card on ESPN+ rounds out the night from 10 p.m. through at least midnight.
How to watch UFC 257: McGregor vs. Poirier
The main card for UFC 257 is available in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription service for a pay-per-view cost. That portion of the event begins at about 10 p.m.
Earlier fights, however, are viewable live on ESPN2, the WatchESPN app, and for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
McGregor vs. Poirier price: How much does UFC 257 cost?
In the U.S., the UFC 257 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 257 is $69.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $89.98 for the UFC 257 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers a savings of over 30 percent.
Where is UFC 257?
UFC 257 will take place at Fight Island at the Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi without fans in attendance due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
This will be Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier’s first visit to Fight Island.
McGregor vs. Poirier odds for UFC 257
McGregor opened up as a significant favorite at -275 with Poirier sitting at +235. But as the fight draws closer, Poirier has closed the gap and as of January 8, sits as a +155 underdog to McGregor’s remaining the favorite at -180. As the odds currently stand, one would need to bet $180 on McGregor to gain a $100 profit. A $100 wager on Poirier would yield a $155 return.
Conor McGregor record
Name: Conor McGregor
Nationality: Irish
Born: July 14, 1988
Height: 5-9
Reach: 74 inches
Total fights: 26
Record: 22-4
Dustin Poirier record
Name: Dustin Poirier
Nationality: American
Born: Jan. 19, 1989
Height: 5-9
Reach: 72 inches
Total fights: 33
Record: 26-6 (1 No Contest)
UFC 257 fight card
Main card
Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier; 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
Prelims
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Nasrat Haqparast; Lightweight
Brad Tavares vs. Antonio Carlos Junior; Middleweight
Julianna Pena vs. Sara McMann; Women’s Bantamweight
Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Marcin Prachnio; Light Heavyweight
Andrew Sanchez vs. Andre Muniz; Middleweight
Nik Lentz vs. Movsar Evloev; Catchweight
Amir Albazi vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov; Flyweight
