Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier: Trilogy fight confirmed to headline UFC 264 in Las Vegas

Poirier comprehensively beat McGregor at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi in January, seven years after losing in the Irishman’s first Vegas bout

Dustin Poirier reacciona tras vencer a Conor McGregor (Zuffa LLC)

Conor McGregor will face Dustin Poirier in their highly anticipated trilogy fight on 10 July in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White has confirmed.

Poirier comprehensively beat McGregor at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi in January, seven years after losing in the Irishman’s first Vegas bout.

The pair recently revealed a contract had been signed for their third meeting, although only this week McGregor declared “the fight is off” during a spat on social media in which Poirier accused his rival of failing to fulfil a promise to donate $500,000 to The Good Fight Foundation, a charity set up by Poirier to help communities in need in his home state of Louisiana.

“The fight is off btw [by the way]. I’m going to fight someone else on the 10th,” McGregor tweeted on Monday.

However, the fight has now been confirmed.

“I am so happy to finally be able to say: Vegas is back,” said White in a video posted on social media. “Las Vegas is back open for business and on July 10 UFC 264 will be at the T-Mobile Arena here in Vegas at 100 per cent capacity ... that’s 20,000 fans. And this card will be headlined by the third fight between Justin Poirier and Conor McGregor.”

White recently told The Jim Rome Show that McGregor, 32, was primed for action once more and ready to end his drought without a victory which stretches back to January 2020.

“Conor’s ready to roll,” said White. “Conor wants to fight again. He wants the rematch with Dustin Poirier, and he wants it as soon as possible. We’re working on it. Hopefully this summer.

I think the loss put him back into a really good place. It’s the classic Rocky III. You’re pulling up to the fight in yachts and covered in Versace and you got all the money in the world, it’s hard to stay hungry.”

The January clash with Poirier marked McGregor’s first bout in 12 months, and prior to his 40-second win against Donald Cerrone in January 2020 the Irishman had last competed in October 2018 – when he was submitted by rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor (22-5) has lost three of his last six contests.