Conor McGregor agrees to UFC return vs Poirier on Jan. 23

Conor McGregor has agreed to return to the UFC for a rematch with Dustin Poirier on Jan. 23 at UFC 257.

UFC President Dana White confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that McGregor has ended his newest retirement from combined martial arts by signing an settlement for a 155-pound struggle with Poirier.

White hasn’t determined whether or not UFC 257 will likely be held in Las Vegas or within the UFC’s coronavirus-secure bubble in Abu Dhabi.

“But if the world continues in the direction it looks like it’s headed, it will 100% be Fight Island,” White instructed the AP.

McGregor (22-4) has fought within the UFC cage simply twice since November 2016, however he dramatically stopped Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in 40 seconds at UFC 246 final January. The 32-year-old Irish veteran stays the most important star in fight sports activities regardless of retiring for the third time in 4 years final June amid frustration together with his incapability to ebook the fights he wished because of the pandemic.

Poirier already signed his settlement for the rematch final week, in keeping with ESPN, the UFC’s broadcast accomplice.

McGregor was nonetheless a rising MMA star when he stopped Poirier simply 1:46 into the primary spherical at UFC 178 in September 2014. McGregor gained his subsequent three fights, culminating in his 13-second victory over Jose Aldo to assert the UFC light-weight championship.

Poirier (26-6) rebounded from that loss and fought his technique to a UFC title, recording wins over Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez earlier than outpointing Max Holloway for the interim UFC light-weight title in April 2019. Poirier misplaced his share of the belt to Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission in September 2019 in Abu Dhabi, however rebounded with a choice over Dan Hooker final June.

McGregor and Poirier each favor brawling, on-the-feet preventing types that ought to present a very good matchup for McGregor’s strengths.

Nurmagomedov, who retired final month after beating Gaethje, is the final fighter to beat each McGregor and Poirier.