ABU DHABI – A non-title UFC lightweight rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is official for UFC 257 on Saturday as both fighters successfully weighed in on Friday’s weigh-in.
McGregor (22-4), a former undisputed champion in lightweight, weighed 155 pounds. Poirier (26-6), who won an interim lightweight champion in 2019, tipped the scales at 156. The game headlines UFC 257 at the Etihad Arena on Saturday.
This marks the second match between the two lightweights. The first took place in 2014 and at the 145-pound limit. McGregor took out Poirier in just 1:46 with his infamous left hand. That would actually be Poirier’s last featherweight fight as he progressed to the lightweight division in his next fight.
Amazingly, McGregor has competed in lightweight only twice in his UFC career. He won the belt in his UFC lightweight debut in late 2016 by knocking out then-champion Eddie Alvarez. In 2018, he lost via submission in the fourth round to defending champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor, 32, has repeatedly stated that he will be making his frame for an extended 155lb run in 2021.
In the co-main event, former Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler (21-5) and New Zealand Dan Hooker (20-9) each successfully gained weight. Both Chandler and Hooker came in at 156 pounds.
It’s been a huge week for the lightweight division as UFC president Dana White has teased that defending champion Khabib Numragomedov could return for one more fight, if one of the top four lightweights on the map is impressive enough. Nurmagomedov for his part has repeatedly stated that he has no plans to fight anytime soon, but he nevertheless remains the current lightweight champion.
McGregor and Poirier were the first of the hunters to step on the scale on Friday. Immediately afterwards, Jon Anik of the UFC announced that the match between Ottman Azaitar and Matt Frevola had been canceled.