Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 2 is the main event for UFC 257 betting on Saturday, January 23, at the Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
This is a highly anticipated rematch between a pair of lightweight contenders hoping to earn another shot at the title. MMA fans are always eager to watch "The Notorious" Conor McGregor when he enters the octagon and UFC odds have McGregor installed as -330 favorite, while Poirier comes back at +265.
We break down the UFC betting odds for this lightweight battle and give our best picks and predictions for UFC 257: Poirier vs McGregor 2.
Poirier vs McGregor 2 Fight Odds
| Method of Victory | Dustin Poirier | Conor McGregor |
|---|---|---|
| Win outright | +265 | -330 |
| Win by KO/TKO | +650 | -195 |
| Win by points | +750 | +700 |
| Win by submission | +1,200 | +2,300 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Poirier vs McGregor 2 Betting Preview
McGregor and Poirier fought against each other in 2014, with McGregor winning via first-round knockout. However, much has changed in the more than six years since, including both fighters moving up in weight class.
Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier has gone 6-1 with a no-contest in his last eight fights That span includes victories over highly-ranked fighters such as Max Holloway, Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje. The 31-year-old Poirier is fresh off a decision victory against current No. 6-ranked lightweight Dan Hooker, in a bout that was an absolute war and earned Fight of the Night honors.
That win allowed Poirier to bounce back from a title loss against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Poirier is a very strong all-around fighter that combines high-level boxing with good grappling ability.
McGregor has a career record of 22-4, with 19 knockouts, but has entered the octagon just twice in the last four years as the Irishman has flirted with retirement while pursuing other interests—including a huge payday inside the boxing ring against Floyd Mayweather.
Nonetheless, Notorious is coming off a first-round knockout of Donald Cerrone last January and looks to be in terrific shape in an image he shared on social media two weeks away from UFC 257.
McGregor is a terrific striker who can attack in a variety of ways and overwhelms opponents with his pressure and explosive power.
Poirier vs McGregor 2 Tale of the Tape
| Dustin Poirier | Conor McGregor | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Age | 32 |
| 5-foot-9 | Height | 5-foot-9 |
| 155 lbs | Weight | 155 lbs |
| 72 inches | Reach | 74 inches |
| 26-6-0 (13 KO) | Record | 22-4-0 (19 KO) |
Poirier vs McGregor 2 UFC Predictions and Betting Picks
PREDICTION: Poirier to win +265 - As good a boxer Poirier is, McGregor's striking is on a whole other level. That said, this betting line may be a bit skewed due to McGregor's popularity and the result of their first matchup more than six years ago.
Poirier has improved vastly as a fighter since then, buzz sawing his way through some top-notch fighters. While there were questions earlier in his career about his chin after first-round knockouts against McGregor and Michael Johnson, Diamond has shown much better durability in recent years.
Poirier's performances against Holloway and Gaethje were especially impressive, as he outstruck an elite kickboxer in Holloway and outboxed one of the hardest hitters in the division in Gaethje.
As dangerous as McGregor is, he doesn't have the aura of invincibility that he used to. Fighting sporadically over the last few years is certainly not ideal and Poirier could have the edge when it comes to both grappling and cardio.
McGregor opened as a -184 favorite for this matchup with that line since shifting to -330. Keep in mind that -330 odds translate to a win probability of 76.7 percent and while I think Notorious will likely win this fight, I would put that probability at closer to 60/40. That has me leaning towards Poirier, who I think has the superior betting value.
PREDICTION: Poirier to win by submission (+1,200) - First off, let me say that I'm pretty much throwing the Khabib fights out the window when I'm evaluating these two. Both of them – like pretty much every other fighter in history – were "smeshed" by Khabib's wrestling.
However, that's not the only fight where McGregor has looked vulnerable on the ground—especially once he's gassed. Notorious has underrated BJJ skills and strong takedown defense but he's still nowhere near as good as Poirier when it comes to grappling.
Poirier has a strong ground game with seven submission wins in his career, most recently against Anthony Pettis. Diamond is no stranger to attempting submissions, with seven attempts in his last four fights and even had a tight guillotine choke against Khabib, which the champ escaped from.
This is a longshot bet but with all of McGregor's losses coming by sub, I think there is value in sprinkling a few dollars on it.
PREDICTION: Total Rounds Over 2.5 (+150) - Notorious has predicted that he'll knock out Poirier "inside 60 seconds" and given that he KO'd Cowboy in 40 seconds a year ago, I won't say it's impossible.
I will say that it's unlikely, given Poirier's excellent footwork and slick defense. Diamond does a great job of moving his head and using his lead elbow to block strikes while avoiding power shots. He also has the wrestling ability to drag rounds out.
Three of Poirier's last five fights have gone until at least the fourth round and while I don't necessarily think this fight will go the distance, being able to take the Over 2.5 rounds at plus money is hard to pass up.
Where Can I Bet on UFC Odds?
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