If you are new to the UFC or only tune into the massive fights like the ones that Conor McGregor tends to have, then you not have heard of Dustin Poirier. It is no secret that Dana White and the UFC have been angling for a rematch between McGregor and lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, ever since their first bout at UFC 229, the most-bought fight in UFC history. Unfortunately, Khabib has been opposed to this idea. Very opposed. The bad blood between the two has been very real and Khabib has not given McGregor the time of day. Why is that relevant? Because Khabib in an interview this summer said that for anybody to be considered the number one contender after he fights Justin Gaethje next Saturday, they will have to beat Poirier, who Khabib beat last September, first.
So, if you follow that trail of bread crumbs then it is no surprise when the McGregor announced on his Twitter Wednesday that he accepted an offer to fight Poirier on January 23. The UFC and McGregor have been looking to get the Irishman back into the title picture and this feels like the best way to do it.
Let me introduce you to Poirier because this is not going to be a steamrolling like Donald Cerrone was for McGregor back in January. Poirier is a beast. If you need an example of the man’s work ethic go watch his first fight with McGregor – yes they fought before back when they were both young featherweights looking to make their way up the ranking – then watch his most recent fight with Dan Hooker. McGregor steamrolled an unrefined version of Poirier in 2014 taking less than a few minutes to knock him out, but since then The Diamond has molded himself into one of the best fighters in the best division in the UFC, holding wins over three former UFC champions and current number one contender Gaethje.
In short, if McGregor can beat Poirier in any form, it doesn’t have to be convincing, then his case for a rematch with Khabib is undeniable, Poirier is that good. On the fight analysis side, the odds according to Fan Duel Sportsbook have McGregor as a -184 favorite and Poirier as a +154 dog. Clearly, the oddsmakers respect Poirier because the usual big-name boos that a lot of fighters get would put them at +200 at least. Instead, it is clear that the oddsmakers know not to give good odds on Poirier. I’m not making any prediction yet but if McGregor fails to get Poirier out of there by the third round, this fight may go to the Diamond.
