- Conor McGregor will be back in the Octagon, facing off against Dustin Poirier.
- McGregor has not fought since defeating Cowboy Cerrone but is favored with -220 odds.
- Both men lost title fights to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is now retired.
LAS VEGAS - Conor McGregor is back. The former UFC Champion signed an agreement to face off against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
This move felt like a matter of time after the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the man who dominated McGregor in his most recent loss.
At that time, McGregor took to Twitter to note that he would be continuing to fight, and set the stage for his return to MMA.
Good performance @TeamKhabib.
I will carry on.
Respect and condolences on your father again also. To you and family.
Yours sincerely, The McGregors.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 24, 2020
Nurmagomedov smashed McGregor, to the point that he was not even particularly willing to offer a rematch because the champion didn’t think McGregor deserved it.
With Nurmagomedov gone, McGregor’s path to return to the top of the MMA world seems much clearer.
One could almost detect a hint of glee in the Irishman’s proclamation that he would carry on in MMA in his reaction to Khabib’s retirement.
Still, McGregor will face stiff competition in the UFC’s lightweight division, which is one of the strongest divisions in the company.
His first test is set - Dustin Poirier. McGregor is favored in this rematch against the former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion.
BREAKING: Conor McGregor (@thenotoriousmma) has signed his bout agreement for his rematch with Dustin Poirier for January 23. pic.twitter.com/2Pmh4MdZyj
— TheMacLife (@Maclifeofficial) November 19, 2020
Poirier and McGregor fought at featherweight in 2014, and McGregor handed Poirier his first stoppage loss.
Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier
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- Conor McGregor -220
- Dustin Poirier +185
McGregor is favored at more than 2:1 odds, sitting at -220 at the online sportsbooks in the early hours of the fight’s announcement.
Poirier is at +185, which is fairly respectable. The first fight between them was six years ago, and wasn’t close, as McGregor won by TKO in the first round.
Poirier defeated Max Holloway for the Interim Lightweight Championship in 2019 and then lost a unification match to Khabib Nurmagomedov, convincingly.
Right now, Poirier is actually ranked higher in the UFC Lightweight Division, coming in at second place while McGregor is in fourth.
Interestingly, the UFC ranks Poirier as the seventh best pound for pound fighter in the entire company, while McGregor clocks in at 11, and fellow lightweights Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson are 10th and 13th, respectively.
This would seem to imply that Poirier is the best non-Khabib fighter in the division right now.
He’ll have a chance to prove it against McGregor - and against the odds.
Both of these fighters are in similar positions - excellent fighters in a division that is suddenly wide open without Khabib.
Which of them will be able to capitalize on these newly open pastures and make their way to the top of this division?
MMA bettors who think they know the answer can head to the online sportsbooks to place wagers already!
Good luck!
Maxwell joined the USAOnlineSportsbooks team in 2019. He focuses on creating sports betting content that informs and educates. He focuses on the NBA, the NFL, College Football and Basketball, and whatever else comes across his desk.
