Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier faced off for the final time this afternoon, ahead of their much-anticipated rematch this weekend.
The MMA fighters will go head-to-head for the second time at UFC 257 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
The bout will take place on Saturday, January 23, at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, which has been nicknamed ‘Fight Island’.
Due to the time difference, the fight won’t air in Ireland until around 5am on Sunday morning.
One day before their scheduled rematch, the Crumlin native went face-to-face with his opponent at the Etihad Arena, following their ceremonial weigh-in.
Despite obvious tension, their face-off was surprisingly cordial, as both fighters posed for a photo together on stage.
Conor could be heard wishing Dustin well, and said: “It’s gonna be a good fight brother, lets go for it.”
Intensity and respect in equal measure! 🙌
Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor come face-to-face for the final time before the rematch goes down!@TheNotoriousMMA has got his hot sauce 😅
Watch #UFC257 live on BT Sport Box Office ➡️ https://t.co/LmdecOCthi pic.twitter.com/IJtTkPb6x2
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) January 22, 2021
This Saturday’s fight will be a rematch of their featherweight bout at UFC 178 six years ago, when Conor knocked Dustin out in the first two minutes.
Despite previous talks of retirement, Conor told ESPN this week that the “fight game will never get rid of me”.
“Conor McGregor will be here until the day I go out,” he said. “If they line me up, I’ll get about seven fights in the next year and a half. That’s what I want.”
He also hasn’t ruled out a future bout with YouTuber Jake Paul, after the social media star launched a relentless campaign to fight him last year.
