Conor McGregor finally signs agreement to fight Dustin Poirier on January 23 at UFC 257

After months of discussions with Dana White and company, Conor McGregor has finally signed the contract to fight Dustin Poirier in a rematch. The lightweight bout will take place on January 23, 2021, and will headline UFC 257. The Diamond, who signed the contract last Thursday, first fought The Notorious One in a featherweight bout at UFC 178 in 2014 which Conor McGregor won by first-round technical knockout.

Conor McGregor last fought Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in a welterweight bout at UFC 246, which he won in under 40 seconds. He then announced his retirement from the sport and teased his boxing return by calling out legends like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. However, it was widely assumed that he would return to the UFC at some point, just as he did after his previous retirements.

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For the past year, The Irishman had been vocal about wanting a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov who defeated him at UFC 229 via fourth-round submission. However, after The Eagle announced his retirement at UFC 254, McGregor turned his attention to Poirier. While The Diamond was outfought by McGregor in their first outing, he has enjoyed much success since then, even becoming an interim lightweight champion at one point.

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Conor McGregor next fight: McGregor vs Poirier 2 will not be for the 155lb crown

In his last eight fights, Dustin Poirier has faced defeat only once – a third-round submission which came at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242. However, in his last bout against Dan Hooker, Dustin Poirier delivered yet another incredible performance and secured the win by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 12. It was also reported that Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 2 would not be for the 155lb title as Khabib Nurmagomedov is still the lightweight king.

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Conor McGregor next fight: Khabib is still the lightweight champion

While talking to the media at UFC on ESPN+ 39, Dana White made it clear that Khabib Nurmagomedov still holds the lightweight crown and “there is no vacant belt”. “I am not saying that he is going to 100 per cent come out for 30-0, but I get the feeling that he will,” Dana White added. However, if Nurmagomedov decides not to return, top fighters including Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson and others will collide for the vacant belt.

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Image Source: Conor McGregor Instagram