It’s the worst kept secret in all of sports, but UFC officials finally announced Conor McGregor’s next fight. McGregor will face Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier at UFC 257 on January 23. The location of Poirier vs. McGregor 2 has not yet been revealed, but the UFC released the graphic for the first UFC pay-per-view event of 2021 on Monday.
“The rematch is OFFICIAL!” was posted on the UFC’s social media channels.
The rematch is OFFICIAL!
💎 @DustinPoirier faces 🇮🇪 @TheNotoriousMMA on Jan 23. #UFC257
Poirier vs. McGregor will take place on January 23 in the main event of UFC 257. According to White, UFC 257 is likely to take place in Abu Dhabi, though those details have not yet been confirmed.
Regardless, Poirier vs. McGregor 2 is a massive rematch between two of the best and most popular 155-pound fighters on the planet.
McGregor stopped Poirier in the first round of a featherweight bout six years ago, but both fighters have become much more dangerous fighters since their first encounter.
Poirier is ranked the No. 1 contender in the men’s lightweight division. McGregor is ranked No. 4.
The winner of Poirier vs. McGregor 2 is likely to end up being ranked the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds.
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‘The Irish Beast Hits the Middle East’
The UFC may have just made McGregor vs. Poirier 2 official, but McGregor has affirmed the fight for weeks now. Recently, McGregor expressed excitement over the possibility of the card taking place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
At the post-fight press conference for UFC 255 on Saturday night, White also said it was likely that UFC 257: McGregor vs. Poirier 2 would be on Fight Island.
Furthermore, the card might also become the crown jewel of the UFC’s plans for International Fight Week which would include having fans in attendance.
White has not shared specific details of how the UFC would pull off such a massive undertaking during the global pandemic, but it’s something that could be on the way.
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Superfight for McGregor in 2021
McGregor might be the UFC’s biggest star, but after facing Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier next in the main event of UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi on January 23, the 32-year-old Irishman may be headed into a boxing ring.
In fact, McGregor’s manager Audie Attar revealed last week that McGregor will be facing boxing legend Manny Pacquiao inside a boxing match in 2021.
“As it relates to Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor, Conor has a fight on January 23rd against Dustin Poirier…,” Attar said. “He’s gonna be handling business against Dustin first. But, Conor has come out and said he wants to fight Manny, Manny has come out and said he wants to fight Conor.”
Attar went on to say, “As I stated publicly before, we have had conversations. So, that is a fight we are definitely going to make because both fighters want it, and there seems to be an interest from the fans all around the world.”
You can watch part of Attar’s interview with Bloomberg below.
Firm that helps manage both fighters told us that McGregor-Pacquiao is definitely a fight they will make for next year.
READ NEXT: Conor McGregor’s Second Fight in 2021: ‘Both Fighters Want It’
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UFC Announces ‘Official’ Next Fight for Conor McGregor