Everything you can expect from UFC 264 and the epic clash between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor

UFC 264 is special for multiple reasons. Not only will the fans be back at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but the card will showcase some spectacular fights alongside the most decorated and hyped MMA fighter of all time, the Notorious Conor McGregor.

It's almost certain there would be a week-long celebration in the fight capital of the world when The Notorious is on the card. The main event of the evening will be a rubber match between Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier and Conor McGregor. The pair had met on two occasions earlier, first time at UFC 178 in September 2014 and second time at UFC 257 in January 2021.

The 2014 clash saw a pumped-up McGregor taking on a heaty Poirier that ended in a spectacular fashion where the Irishman knocked out the Louisiana native in the very first round. The second encounter saw a respectful, calm Mcgregor versus a supremely skilled Poirier. Poirier displayed every move perfectly and shut McGregor’s lights off in the second round. UFC 264 will be that grudge match that sets the rivalry to rest.

Before that, let's have a look at the complete fight card below:

ufc-264-fight-card Everything you can expect from UFC 264 and the epic clash between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor

The fight card is stacked from top to bottom.

We see the inclusion of newcomer Kris Moutinho who was a replacement for Louis Smolka. Kris, a CES MMA standout, had one fight in the Cage Fury Fighting Championship before he got the call to fill in Smolka’s shoes for a main card fight on UFC 264. A call that most fighters wouldn’t want to miss.

This is Moutinho’s chance to prove his worth to the UFC matchmakers and give his career a boost. The 28 year old Massachusetts based Moutinho is currently on a 2 fight winning streak, both by spectacular stoppages that has certainly got him noticed by the UFC brass. Hopefully he takes this opportunity to prove his worth versus an overconfident, highly skilled Sean O’Malley who just recently knocked out a tough Thomas Almeida to earn him the Performance of the Night bonus.

Crystal Ball Prediction: O’Malley gets his hand raised.

The co-main event of the evening is a cracker of a Welterweight fight between former title challengers Gilbert Burns and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. The Brazilian Burns was on an impressive 6 fight win streak that took him straight to the top in a title fight with the champion Kamaru Usman. Usman and Burns were thick friends but they knew their paths would cross in the near future. What threw Burns off was the attitude of Usman and how he treated him more like a harsh opponent than a friend. The fight with Usman snapped Burns’ 6 fight winning streak and left him heart broken. Burns, however, vouched to return with a vengeance.

Also read: All the highlights, results and analysis from UFC Vegas 30

Wonderboy Thompson on the other hand is a 38 year old veteran that has been fighting in the UFC for 9 years. He has been treated as a gatekeeper to the welterweight division but to everyone’s surprise, has seen a sudden rise and drastic improvement in his abilities.
His last two fights versus Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal proved how dangerous Wonderboy Thompson can really be. He has come into his prime in the last two fights and has set his eyes on the welterweight gold.

Crystal Ball Prediction: Gilbert Burns gets his hand raised.

And now… the main event of the evening.

The rubber match. The trilogy. The one that sets it in stone is here. Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor in the lightweight (155 lbs) division.

Major shift in the moneyline this weekend where Dustin Poirier turns out to be the betting favorite against the Notorious. Those odds may change as we get closer to the fight, but for now, McGregor is the underdog. This however, doesn’t mean much as we all know how dangerous McGregor is in rematches, especially after he loses. Despite their lengthy rivalry that started in 2014, these two warriors have shared less than 10 minutes of octagon time. They both have gauged each other's game plans, power and I believe this trilogy will see the best versions of themselves come out and put up a show for the fans.

If we were to analyze the fights, their first encounter saw a very nimble, flexible McGregor that moved laterally, cut angles and stung with that crisp boxing. In their second encounter, McGregor seemed more stiff, didn’t check the leg kicks and relied primarily on his boxing to get the job done. His gas tank too, seems to be wearing off.

I believe all this is due to the boxing fight he had with Mayweather, where he changed his strength & conditioning program. His torso looks thicker and his movement in MMA seems to be rigid. Poirier on the other hand has worked tremendously on his MMA game. With his superior conditioning and crisp striking, it seems he’s got the edge in this one.

Again, all this comes down to how the fighter adjusts to the pressure under the big lights.

Crystal Ball Prediction: Dustin Poirier gets his hand raised.

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About the author

somesh-kamra Everything you can expect from UFC 264 and the epic clash between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor

Somesh Kamra is a professional mixed martial artist specializing in Muay Thai. He has designed many effective training programs for Superhuman Gym and the Police Academy. His knowledge of hand to hand combat is unbeaten and has been a success story for many students. Somesh Kamra is educated from the University of Gold's Gym in the field of physical fitness that includes strength training, plyometrics & cardiovascular training for muscular conditioning. He works closely with the UFC for India and serves as the panelist for the TV Show – The Ultimate Guide to UFC and Pit Stop on Sony Sports Network. Somesh runs India’s first combat podcast – The Fighting G.O.A.T produced exclusively by the IVM Podcast Network.

Instagram: Somesh.Kamra

Twitter: Somesh_Kamra

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