Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to produce the biggest contests in the history of Mixed Martial Arts but the 264th edition will be tough to beat. As always, the organisation has produced a strong undercard but the headline is going to attract huge attention.
Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor prepare for the third head to head battle of their careers and, if the first two fights are anything to go by, the action should be fast and dramatic.
Supporting Cast
UFC 264 has now been confirmed for the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada on Saturday July 10. The organisers are hoping that a capacity crowd will be allowed inside the venue and it will be a welcome sight to see fans Octagon-side once again.
As always, there is a strong undercard lined up to support the main fight: The schedule is still being confirmed at the time of writing but the full, projected card currently reads as follows:
Lightweight Fight: Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor
Women’s Flyweight Fight: Jessica Eye vs Jennifer Maia
Welterweight Fight: Gilbert Burns vs Stephen Thompson
Middleweight Fight: Alen Amedovski vs Hu Yaozo
Featherweight: Ryan Hall vs Ilia Topuria
Flyweight Fight: Jerome Rivera vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov
Middleweight Fight: Omari Akhmedov vs Brad Tavares
Heavyweight Fight: Tai Tuivasa vs Greg Hardy
Middleweight Fight: Dricus Du Plessis vs Trevin Giles
Bantamweight Fight: Sean O’Malley vs Louis Smolka
Welterweight Fight: Kevin Lee vs Sean Brady
Welterweight Fight: Michael Pereira vs Niko Price
Welterweight Fight: Carlos Condit vs Max Griffin
Women’s Bantamweight Fight: Irene Aldana vs Yana Kunitskaya
It’s a packed and exciting card but the tussle at the top is rightly at the very head of the bill.
McGregor Seeking Revenge
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will face each other for the third time with the head to head results currently standing at one win apiece. The first fight between the two dates way back to 2014 when McGregor won by TKO inside one round.
Poirier levelled up with a first round TKO of his own in January of this year so McGregor is now the one looking to bounce back.
The Verdict
Interest from a neutrals’ point of view will undoubtedly focus on the Poirier vs McGregor fight. This will also be the contest where the betting community concentrates and the current odds will give us a possible insight into the destiny of this bout.
If those verdicts are correct, we should be in for an exceptionally tight contest, in the UFC 264 odds, the two can barely be separated. McGregor is the favourite but only just with close figures right across the industry.
The head to head results come in at 1-1 but Poirier’s win in January of this year is far more recent and, therefore, more significant. He’s also the number one ranked fighter in his division while his opponent is just making his way back into the sport after yet another hiatus.
Conor McGregor certainly has the quality to recover and prove himself at the top once again. The tale of the tape is tight with both fighters having similar records but the momentum is with Dustin Poirier and it’s maybe surprising that he isn’t the favorite here.
Best of the Rest
In a strong undercard, there are several contests that have the capacity to add to the drama of UFC 264. One of the more unheralded clashes is the middleweight bout between South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis and the American Trevin Giles. At the ages of 27 and 28 respectively, they are two of the youngest fighters on the bill and both have promising records.
There could be a lot more to come from Giles and Du Plessis in the future and their contest could be a thrilling encounter.
Ultimate Fighting Championship can be relied upon to give us important contests in the women’s divisions and 264 is no exception. There are two women’s fights currently inked into the bill with the main focus on the flyweight clash between Jessica Eye and Jennifer Maia.
This is a contest between the 4th ranked fighter and the 7th ranked fighter in this division and, while neither opponent has a particularly strong record, they look to be evenly matched on paper and Eye and Maia could also serve up a tight and thrilling battle.
A Classic Card
The top billing of the Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier fight has the capacity to overshadow the rest of the card at UFC 264 but true followers will know that this could be a special evening.
The only thing that UFC 262 lacks is a big championship battle below the headliners but the night is an important one. There’s a good mix of younger, up and coming fighters looking to break through in the sport. They combine with those who are at the veteran stages of their careers and are looking to show the mixed martial arts world that they are still relevant.
But the main headline bout is a real winner and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out. Words have already been exchanged between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor and a fierce battle inside the Octagon is likely to play out in Paradise.
Based on the two previous fights between the two men, it should also be quick with both battles ending via technical knockouts inside two rounds. Don’t miss the third in the McGregor v Poirier trilogy as it should be an absolute classic.
