Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Timeline of a trilogy: How McGregor, Poirier arrived at their third fight

UFC weigh-in

Mona Payne Shield

UFC President Dana White separates Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, right, during the weigh-in for UFC 178 Friday, Sept. 26, 2014, at the MGM Grand Convention Center.

On Saturday, Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor will join the pantheon of megafights to reach a trilogy when it serves as the main event of UFC 267 at T-Mobile Arena.

UFC 267: Poirier vs. McGregor

• When: Saturday, July 10, undercard 3:30 p.m., main card 7 p.m.

• Where: T-Mobile Arena

• Tickets: $300-$10,000, ufc.com/tickets

• Pay-per-view: $70, plus.espn.com

• Other main card bouts: Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson; Tai Tuivasa vs. Greg Hardy; Irene Aldana vs. Yana Kunitskaya; Sean O’Malley vs. Louis Smolka

Any pairing that proves compelling enough to get booked a third time has built a great deal of history, and Poirier vs. McGregor is no different. Here’s how the rivalry between two of the UFC’s best lightweights and former champions developed chronologically.

2011-12

On January 1, 2011, Poirier became the ultra-rare fighter to debut in the octagon before his 21st birthday, when he beat Josh Grispi by unanimous decision at UFC 125. He was given the opportunity after UFC absorbed sister promotion WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) to grow its roster. Poirier quickly became a rising star with wins in his first five UFC fights, including one over eventual champion Max Holloway. McGregor, meanwhile, was an unknown toiling in regional promotions in his native Ireland. McGregor, living off public assistance at the time, rebuked pleas from his parents to pursue a steadier career in plumbing.

2013-early 2014

Behind his knockout power and brash demeanor, McGregor built a following in his home country, something UFC President Dana White couldn’t ignore. White signed McGregor and began touting him as a future star. The fighter held up his end of the deal with three straight wins to open his UFC career, including a unanimous decision over Holloway—despite a torn ACL—in August 2013. McGregor returned from the injury less than a year later to knock out Diego Brandao in front of a hometown crowd in Dublin, as the hype surrounding him erupted. Poirier, on the verge of a title shot, called McGregor out after the fight, and the latter obliged. “I know he doesn’t want the fight,” McGregor said. “He can pretend he does want the fight and send tweets about this and that, but let’s do it. I’ll take every single one of them out, and if next is Dustin, let’s do it.”

Sept. 27, 2014

McGregor and Poirier met at UFC 178 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. McGregor relentlessly taunted Poirier going into the fight, including threatening him in a private room just outside the MGM Grand lobby and pointing and smiling at him before they walked out on fight night. The fight-week scuttle had McGregor in Poirier’s head, and that appeared to be the case when they got into the octagon. McGregor outclassed Poirier, knocking him out at 1:46 of the first round. Years later, Poirier said the whole experience sharpened his mentality and served as a turning point in his career.

Late 2015-early 2020

McGregor grew into arguably the biggest star in combat sports, capping a whirlwind two and a half years in the UFC by knocking out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds to win the undisputed featherweight title at UFC 194. He parlayed his success into more seven- and eight-figure paydays in the UFC before crossing over to boxing for the ultimate prize—a bout with Floyd Mayweather with base pay of more than $100 million. Although McGregor became the UFC’s first dual-division champion by beating Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight belt in November 2016, his results were increasingly up and down at the peak of his popularity. Poirier turned into a cult hero by comparison, with an electric, fan-friendly style that guided him to a 17-4 overall UFC record and an interim title with another win over Holloway in April 2019.

Jan. 24, 2021

McGregor and Poirier met at UFC 257 at Fight Island (Abu Dhabi) for their second fight. McGregor handpicked Poirier to come back from a half-hearted retirement announced out of frustration when the latter couldn’t agree to terms with the UFC on staging a bout during the pandemic. Unlike virtually every other McGregor fight, he showed no hostility toward Poirier. The two acted cordial, with McGregor even pledging a $500,000 donation to Poirier’s Good Fight Foundation, a charity organization that helps children in underserved communities. As for the fight, McGregor had his moments in the first round, but Poirier turned the tables, pulling off the upset with a knockout at 2:32 in the second round.

April 2021

A third fight was all but officially announced. McGregor requested it immediately, and Poirier gleefully accepted, saying the money he’d earn in the bout was more important to him than fighting for the vacant lightweight title. McGregor predicted a knockout win, irking Poirier, who in turn accused McGregor of reneging on his promised charity donation. McGregor called Poirier an “inbred hillbilly” and said he never received a requested breakdown of how his money would be utilized. He also announced he no longer planned to fight Poirier again and would instead choose another opponent. White and the UFC were able to smooth the spat over and keep the bout together, but tensions remained between McGregor and Poirier. To end the charity dispute, McGregor wired a $500,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club in Poirier’s hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana.

July 10, 2021

McGregor and Poirier will meet at T-Mobile Arena to complete the trilogy. Unlike the first two fights, for which McGregor was a hefty favorite, the odds declare this matchup a pick’em. The winner is expected to emerge as the top lightweight contender and could potentially take on champion Charles Oliveira for the title by the end of the year.

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.