Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will fight for a third time in front of 20,000 fans on July 10, when the two meet in a rubber match for the main event of UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Poirier defeated McGregor by second-round TKO in January, avenging a previous loss in 2014.
UFC Planning for Full Capacity
Earlier in the week, the fight appeared to be in some trouble. McGregor and Poirier argued on Twitter over the status of a promised $500,000 donation from the Irishman to Poirier’s charitable foundation. On Wednesday, Poirier said that the dustup was a misunderstanding and his fault.
“I jumped the gun, and took private matters between Conor and my foundation public,†Poirier wrote in a statement. “My mistake, we live, we learn. Spreading positivity and doing good is my goal!â€
Meanwhile, McGregor confirmed that he had signed on to the fight.
“I signed bout agreement this morning,†McGregor told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. “I’m going to rip this game a new a—hole July 10. The Mac is back in Sin City!â€
Not only will McGregor and Poirier fight in July, they’ll likely do so in front of a large crowd. On Tuesday, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced that the state would aim to authorize 100 percent capacity at venues by June 1, though a statewide mask mandate would remain in place.
“I’m so happy to finally be able to say Vegas is back,†White said in a video posted to Twitter. “This summer Las Vegas is back open for business and on July 10, UFC 264 will be at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at 100 percent capacity. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s 20,000 fans.â€
Oddsmakers Give McGregor Slight Edge
McGregor came into the January rematch as a -325 favorite at PointsBet. But Poirier overcame some early aggression from McGregor to take control of the fight, dropping McGregor in the second round and finishing him off seconds later.
That result didn’t change who sportsbooks are favoring for the third bout, but it did even up the odds. FanDuel Sportsbook lists McGregor as the -126 pick to win in July, with Poirier fetching +105 odds as a slight underdog in the fight.
McGregor (22-5) built himself into one of the most popular UFC fighters of all time. But he earned that following with success in the Octagon. He formerly held both the featherweight and lightweight titles, and in 2016, he became the first person to simultaneously hold two titles in the UFC.
Poirier (27-6) has never won an undisputed title in the UFC. However, he did defeat Max Holloway in 2019 to briefly hold the interim lightweight championship. Five months later, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated him via rear-naked choke in a match for the unified UFC lightweight title.