UFC 257 McGregor vs. Poirier: Start time, press conference, how to watch and full fight card

Mystic Mac is back at UFC 257. Here’s everything you need to know…
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Mark Serrels

Jan. 11, 2021 3:50 p.m. PT

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Conor McGregor is back! After fighting once last year — mainly as a result of COVID-19 — McGregor will enter the Octagon at UFC 257, against elite lightweight contender Dustin Poirier.

With current UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov all but officially retired, this contest is seen by many as a title eliminator. Most likely the winner will fight for the belt later down the track in 2021, potentially against Charles Oliveira. Depending on how talks between Nurmagomedov and UFC President Dana White go over the next week or so, there’s a chance White lets Poirier and McGregor skip the queue, making this contest for the belt.
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The fight takes place on the UFC’s Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

This isn’t the first time this fight has taken place. McGregor defeated Poirier comfortably the last time they fought over six years ago at UFC 178, but Poirier has improved dramatically since then. He defeated Max Holloway for the UFC interim lightweight championship, and put up a decent showing against Nurmagomedov, the current lightweight king. The undefeated Nurmagomedov also defeated McGregor in 2018.

Despite Poirier’s improvements, most oddsmakers have McGregor as a clear favorite in this bout. His destruction of Donald Cerrone in 2020, combined with the style matchup, has most people seeing this as a favorable fight for McGregor. Poirier is primarily a boxer and McGregor is still the sharpest striker at 155 pounds.

McGregor also appears to be in phenomenal shape and, by most reports, is as motivated as he’s been since his legendary first run at featherweight. We could be in for something special with this performance. McGregor has predicted he’ll win this fight inside 60 seconds.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the UFC’s Inside the Octagon series, which breaks down the match-up. The McGregor vs Poirier one is already online.

But outside of the blockbuster main event, UFC 257 runs deep. Michael Chandler is making his UFC debut against fight of the night machine Dan Hooker in a compelling co-main event and the undercard is dotted with names like Joanne Calderwood and Shane Burgos. There’s a lot of great matchups in there.

The highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor is set to take place on January 23 when the former two-division champion meets an old rival in Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

A lot has changed since McGregor stopped Poirier in the first round over six years ago at UFC 178. McGregor became the biggest star in the UFC while becoming the first fighter to hold world titles in two divisions simultaneously. Meanwhile, Poirier built himself back up with marquee wins over Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, Dan Hooker and Justin Gaethje while also claiming the interim UFC lightweight title.

There is a lot at stake when these two meet again as Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired and vacated the UFC lightweight title. The winner will certainly be near the front of the line for the title while the loser falls to the back.

Will things be different this time around?

Below is a full rundown of the schedule for UFC 257, with details on the fight matchups, start times, odds and more for Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier.

MORE: Save over 30% when you buy UFC 257 and an ESPN+ Annual Plan for only $89.98
When is Conor McGregor’s next fight in 2021?

Date: Saturday, Jan. 23
Early prelims: 6:30 p.m. ET
Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
PPV main card: 10 p.m. ET

The early prelims for UFC 257 will begin on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET, the prelims will start on ESPN+ and ESPN2 at 8 p.m., and the pay-per-view main card on ESPN+ rounds out the night from 10 p.m. through at least midnight.
How to watch UFC 257: McGregor vs. Poirier

The main card for UFC 257 is available in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription service for a pay-per-view cost. That portion of the event begins at about 10 p.m.

Earlier fights, however, are viewable live on ESPN2, the WatchESPN app, and for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.

In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
McGregor vs. Poirier price: How much does UFC 257 cost?

In the U.S., the UFC 257 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 257 is $69.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $89.98 for the UFC 257 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers a savings of over 30 percent.

Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
Where is UFC 257?

UFC 257 will take place at Fight Island at the Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi without fans in attendance due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

This will be Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier’s first visit to Fight Island.
McGregor vs. Poirier odds for UFC 257

McGregor opened up as a significant favorite at -275 with Poirier sitting at +235. But as the fight draws closer, Poirier has closed the gap and as of January 8, sits as a +155 underdog to McGregor’s remaining the favorite at -180. As the odds currently stand, one would need to bet $180 on McGregor to gain a $100 profit. A $100 wager on Poirier would yield a $155 return.

No. 2 seed and seventh-ranked Kentucky will look to put the clamps on 5-seed and 14th-ranked Auburn when the Southeastern Conference foes meet in a 2019 NCAA Tournament Elite 8 matchup on Sunday. The Wildcats (30-6), who have held all three NCAA Tournament opponents to 58 points or fewer, are 173-7 (.961) under coach John Calipari when limiting an opponent to under 63, including an eye-popping 21-0 this season. The Tigers (29-9), however, have hit 78 points in all three NCAA Tournament games. Tip-off from the Sprint Center in Kansas City is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET. Kentucky is favored by 4.5 in the latest Auburn vs. Kentucky odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 142.5, down two from the opener. Before making any Auburn vs. Kentucky picks of your own, be sure to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.Watch Here LIVE : https://t.co/TsSeo2XKkkThis model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has raked in the winnings for those following its picks. Over the past two years, the SportsLine Projection Model has returned over $4,000 to $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks. It's also on fire in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, calling 14 of the Sweet 16 teams straight-up. Anyone who has followed it is way ahead.Now the model has dialed in on Kentucky vs. Auburn. We can tell you it is leaning over, and it also has an extremely strong against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60 percent of simulations. That one is only available at SportsLine.The model knows that Kentucky, which won both regular-season meetings against Auburn, has dominated the Tigers through the years, winning 21 of the last 23 matchups. UK is also 94-19 all-time in the series. A big reason for the Wildcats' success this season has been their dominance on the glass, as Kentucky is 25-4 when out-rebounding an opponent. Big Blue is ranked 36th nationally in rebounding at 38.4 per game, while Auburn is 234th at 34.2. The Wildcats also have an edge in field goal percentage (47.8 to 45.3) and free throw percentage (74.3 to 70.8).Kentucky will benefit from having forward P.J. Washington back in the lineup. The sophomore returned Friday against Houston and scored 16 points after missing the first two games of the tournament due to a left foot injury. On the other bench, Auburn will be without sophomore forward Chuma Okeke, who tore his ACL against North Carolina in the Sweet 16.But just because the Wildcats have dominated the Tigers doesn't mean they'll cover the Kentucky vs. Auburn spread on Saturday in the 2019 Elite Eight. That's because no team is as hot as Auburn, which claimed the SEC Tournament championship after tying South Carolina for fourth in the conference in the regular season at 11-7. The Tigers, making their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance and second in a row, are 15-9 all-time in the Big Dance. Auburn has an advantage over the Wildcats in points (79.1 per game to 76.4) and 3-point percentage (38.1 to 35.8).The Tigers are third in NCAA history with 438 three-pointers in a season, tied with VMI (2009). Senior guard Bryce Brown is deadly from 3-point range. He scored 25 points in a second-round upset of Kansas and is second in SEC history with 374 treys. So who wins Auburn vs. Kentucky? And which side of the spread can you bank on in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Auburn vs. Kentucky spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $4,000 on its college basketball picks, and find out.