Getty Conor McGregor & Justin Bieber
Irish superstar Conor McGregor has been training hard for his fight with No. 2 ranked lightweight Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 and a pop star has taken notice.
“Notorious” recently posted a family picture on Instagram, wishing his followers a Merry Christmas and writing, “So much to look forward to in 2021.” In the picture, it was also revealed that McGregor’s wife, Dee Devlin, is pregnant with their third child.
Canadian singer-songwriter Justin Bieber reacted to McGregor’s post, praising the physique of Notorious, which prompted a response from the Irishman. “Bro u literally look like a superhero,” Bieber commented on McGregor’s post.
“@justinbieber Just your friendly neighborhood JackedMan #HereToServe,” McGregor replied. See a screenshot below:
InstagramConor McGregor and Justin Bieber’s comments.
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UFC 257 Will Mark McGregor’s First Fight in Over a Year
The last time Notorious stepped in the Octagon was on January 18 when he fought Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246. McGregor made short work of Cowboy, dismantling the shoo-in Hall of Famer in only 40 seconds.
UFC 257 on January 23, 2021, will mark the return of the Irishman. McGregor initially had plans to fight multiple times in 2020, however they were derailed by COVID-19. But, Notorious, who is ranked in the top-5 of lightweight, is back and he intends to earn another victory over one of the best fighters on the roster, Dustin Poirier.
The two initially fought in the featherweight division back in 2014, with McGregor finishing “The Diamond” in the first round via strikes. Six years later and both men have found massive success in the UFC, with Poirier earning the interim lightweight belt and Notorious winning both the lightweight and featherweight titles.
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The Winner of Poirier vs. McGregor Will Likely Be the Top Contender in the Division
Both McGregor and Poirier are coming off wins in 2020, and the winner of their main event bout on January 23 will likely determine who the top contender in the division is. The king of the weight class, lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, announced his retirement in October after defending his title against Justin Gaethje, and the state of the division is up in the air.
The UFC has not officially stripped “The Eagle” nor has he officially relinquished the belt. The Russian is set to meet with UFC president Dana White in January to discuss his fighting future, something that will directly affect the winner of Poirier vs. McGregor.
The last losses Poirier and McGregor sustained were to Nurmagomedov and the champion has told the media that he isn’t interested in a rematch. However, the UFC may be inclined to give whichever fighter wins at UFC 257 the next shot at the title, whether it’s for the vacant title or against Nurmagomedov.
Before his bout with Gaethje, Nurmagomedov expressed interest in fighting former middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. Should The Eagle choose to do that and not retire, it’s unclear which weight class the fight would take place.
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