Conor McGregor seeks to regain his throne atop the MMA world with a victory against Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 264.
A win is a necessity for Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) in order to challenge lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. If McGregor (22-5) loses, he can pivot quite easily to a trilogy fight against Nate Diaz (and a victory there may be enough to reinsert McGregor back into title contention). Win or lose against Poirier at 264, McGregor has another big fight looming against Michael Chandler. Poirier, however, takes a step or two down the rung of relevancy with a loss to McGregor.
The co-main event is also a high-stakes matchup, as Gilbert Burns meets Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Burns (19-4) will fight to hold onto his ranking as second in the welterweight division with a win, keeping himself in contention. Currently ranked fourth, Thompson (16-4, 1 NC) needs this win in order to make a play for the title. At 38, he must capitalize upon this opportunity.
The women’s bantamweight fight pitting Irene Aldana against Yana Kunitskaya suffered a severe loss of momentum when it was moved to a catchweight bout following Aldana (12-6) not making weight. A win allows Kunitskaya (14-5, 1 NC) to elevate herself into a top-four ranking in the division. The card also features a heavyweight bout, as Tai Tuivasa looks to win his third straight fight by picking up a victory against Greg Hardy. Tuivasa (11-3) has an explosive style, but one that leaves him open to getting knocked out, and Hardy (7-3, 1 NC) does possess knockout power.
The card opens with an electric fight. “Sugar” Sean O’Malley will attempt to put on a showcase, sending Kris Moutinho home early after accepting this fight only two weeks ago. Moutinho (9-4) would become an immediate part of UFC lore with a win, but the safe bet (and expensive one at over minus-800) is that O’Malley (13-1) continues his ascent in the bantamweight division.
The show offers a complete card, though UFC 264 is centered around the return of McGregor. After getting crushed by McGregor’s nonstop insults, Poirier wants to let his actions do his speaking for him. He’ll have that chance tonight at UFC 264.
Let the fights begin.
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