Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor 3 prediction: What to expect from UFC 264 main event

The ongoing Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor saga is expected to reach its conclusion on July 10 as the two lightweights will collide in a trilogy bout at the main event of UFC 264. The two first met as featherweight contenders at UFC 178, with the Notorious One taking a TKO win in under two minutes and becoming a top prospect. McGregor later won the featherweight title before getting his hands on the lightweight strap, becoming the first man in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously.

McGregor was then stripped of both of his titles before being beaten by former lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. After a long hiatus, McGregor returned to defeat Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, but his momentum was this time spoiled by the Diamond. Dustin Poirier took his revenge by dominating McGregor in their second fight at UFC 257, giving him his first-ever KO loss. Now, both the fighters will collide in the rubber match, settling the debate – “who is better: Dustin Poirier or Conor McGregor?”

Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor 3 prediction: Fight statistics

On paper, both Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor have the same height, with the Irishman having a one-inch reach advantage. As per FightMetrics, both the fighters also have similar striking numbers, but Poirier has a slight edge here, considering he has been more active. While both the men are known for striking, The Diamond isn’t afraid of taking things to the ground, having an average of 1.5 takedowns and 1.3 submissions per 15 minutes. Despite that, Poirier loves to fight on his feet and with his crispy and powerful moves, he has proven time and time again that he doesn’t need his wrestling to get things done.

Meanwhile, Conor McGregor is one of the lethal fighters when it comes to striking. The Notorious One has won a majority of his matches with the help of striking, besting fighters like Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez and others. However, in their last clash, Poirier used his vicious leg kicks to slow McGregor down, making him unable to deliver his godly left hand. If the Irishman wants to win the trilogy, he would defiantly need a better game plan, with his coach John Kavanagh assuring fans that McGregor is prepared for anything Poirier at him.

Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor 3: UFC 264 tickets

Around 20,800 fans are expected to be in the T-Mobile Arena to watch UFC 264. According to UFC president Dana White, the UFC 264 tickets went live a couple of days ago and were sold out in seconds.

UFC 264 date: Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor 3 date and venue

• When is UFC 264 (as per US timings): Saturday, July 10, 2021
• When is UFC 264 (as per Indian timings): Sunday, July 11, 2021
• Where is UFC 264: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

UFC 264 fight card

• Lightweight bout: Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor                                                 
• Welterweight bout: Gilbert Burns vs Stephen Thompson
• Women's Flyweight bout: Jessica Eye vs Jennifer Maia
• Bantamweight bout: Sean O'Malley vs Louis Smolka
• Featherweight bout: Ryan Hall vs Ilia Topuria
• Flyweight bout: Jerome Rivera vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov
• Middleweight bout: Omari Akhmedov vs Brad Tavares
• Heavyweight bout: Tai Tuivasa vs Greg Hardy
• Middleweight bout: Dricus du Plessis vs Trevin Giles
• Women's Bantamweight bout: Irene Aldana vs Yana Kunitskaya
• Middleweight bout: Alen Amedovski vs Hu Yaozong
• Welterweight bout: Kevin Lee vs Sean Brady

Image Source: UFC/ Twitter