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UFC superstar Conor McGregor is heading back to the Octagon in less than 50 days. Judging by the sparring footage McGregor leaked on Instagram over the weekend, the 32-year-old Irishman should be in fine form when he takes on Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier next month at UFC 257.
You can watch below a clip of McGregor sparring a Polish MMA fighter named Mateusz Piskorz.
Piskorz (15-6) is a 28-year-old pro-MMA fighter who has competed under the Bellator MMA banner as well as several other MMA promotional companies.
Most notably, McGregor’s counterpunching and balance already appear to be on point. World-renowned as one of the best strikers in MMA today, McGregor appears to dominate the welterweight sparring partner with his faster hands and more accurate strikes.
Can he do the same to Poirier? The world finds out next month.
UFC 257: McGregor vs. Poirier 2
McGregor’s fight against Poirier takes place in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23.
It’s the first UFC pay-per-view card of 2020, and it features a rematch between two of the UFC’s best and most popular lightweight stars.
McGregor defeated Poirier six years ago via the first-round stoppage during the early part of both fighters’ UFC careers.
But both stalwart 155-pounders have gone on since to do big things in the sport, so most expect the rematch to be a serious battle.
Achievements of McGregor and Poirier
McGregor is one of only four fighters in UFC history to hold two divisional championships at the same time. The first-ever UFC “champ champ” is also one of only seven UFC fighters to have ever earned more than one divisional championship over a career.
Meanwhile, Poirier also captured UFC gold. The 32-year-old American is a former interim champ in the UFC’s stacked 155-pound lightweight division.
The best part about the fight though? The winner should be positioned to get another title shot soon. Both McGregor (No. 4) and Poirier (No. 2) are ranked among the top five contenders in the division per the UFC’s official rankings.
What’s Next in UFC’s Lightweight Division?
While UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is still listed as the champion at 155 pounds, the 32-year-old actually retired after beating top-rated contender Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
The Russian dynamo from Dagestan already holds dominant wins over his top-ranked contenders: McGregor, Poirier, and Gaethje. Nurmagomedov doesn’t envision rematches with any of those fighters even if he makes a comeback to the UFC next year like UFC president Dana White hopes.
That probably means Nurmagomedov is either going to stay retired or look for one big superfight against retired UFC legend Georges St-Pierre.
Regardless, all that means is that the rest of the division will want to be ready to scramble for the vacant title whenever it’s put up for grabs.
UFC 257: McGregor vs. Poirier 2 will position the main event winner to be in the perfect spot to do that.
Besides, there are plenty of other big fights left for the winner in the stacked lightweight division, too.
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Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson
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