What to Watch as McGregor and Poirier Fight at U.F.C. 257

by 24USATVJan. 23, 2021, 6 a.m. 64
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Conor McGregor is set to headline U.F.C. 257 against Dustin Poirier, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship and its business partners would prefer that McGregor, the 32-year-old Irish star, stick around this time.

McGregor last fought 53 weeks ago, blowing out Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds and setting up a potential big-money rematch against the lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov. But then the coronavirus pandemic scrambled those plans. Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje in October and then retired immediately afterward. McGregor campaigned to return to the octagon but couldn’t line up a bout until a main event against Poirier came together.

But the upside, for the U.F.C., of McGregor’s yearlong absence is that it has been able to sell the fight — scheduled for early Sunday in Abu Dhabi, or Saturday night in the United States — as a comeback. And the U.F.C. is paying McGregor and Poirier as if their main event is a special occasion.

Last year, McGregor earned a $3 million guarantee for blowing out Cerrone, who was guaranteed $200,000. This weekend McGregor (22-4) will earn a minimum $5 million, while Poirier (26-6, 1 no contest) is guaranteed $1 million. Those figures don’t include performance bonuses or the share of pay-per-view revenue headliners typically receive.

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