When Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend, they’ll quite literally be fighting over breakfast.
Two of the finest lightweight fighters the sport has ever seen – formerly featherweight champion and contender respectively – will be making their walk to the cage just in time for a 9.30 AM showdown in Abu Dhabi.
The reason being is that for all its global fan interests, when it comes to big money PPV nights and big betting events, the UFC runs on Vegas time.
We’ll be previewing this weekend’s action on All Things MMA this Wednesday but ahead of that, the UFC have released two of each fighter’s biggest moments.
Dustin Poirier v Justin Gaethje, 2018
For Poirier, the Lafayette native clashed with fellow former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje back in April 2018 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Poirer was rising through the lightweight ranks, Gaethje was incredibly exciting to watch, albeit somewhat maniacal.
He wasn’t former interim champ just yet – neither man was, Poirier ranked fifth with Gaethje sixth in the lightweight charts.
Poirier was deducted a point for an eye poke late in the third, Gaethje showing signs of wear and tear going into the fourth to his eye going into the fourth, and that’s all it took.
A big left hand from Poirier seconds into the fourth round, catching Gaethje under his right eye, gave ‘The Diamond’ enough room to unload for the TKO victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67gO9wWoZRQ
Conor McGregor v Eddie Alvarez, 2016
18 months prior to Gaethje and Poirier chasing gold, Conor McGregor was busy becoming a two-weight champion in the UFC.
Having already secured the featherweight gold by taking out Jose Aldo, McGregor would face ‘The Underground King’ Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 on Sunday 13 November, 2016.
Alvarez, the first Bellator lightweight champion and then-current UFC lightweight champion was a big matchup for McGregor. The move up in weight class, a battle-hardened tried and tested champion in his way.
What unfolded, particular the four-punch combo to finish things off, was a lesson in mixed martial arts performance and yet another record in the history books for the Irishman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3noA9NgyRM
UFC 257: Poirier v McGregor 2 takes place this Saturday night at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Events get underway from around 11.30pm Irish time.
Check out All Things MMA this Wednesday and on Scoreline this Saturday for a preview of the main card action.
