UFC 264 : Poirier vs. McGregor 3 – Best Bets
It seems that a title fight may not always be the goal for some UFC fighters, but when money talks, BS walks.
As the number one ranked contender in the lightweight division, Dustin Poirier chose to take the money fight with Conor McGregor over a chance at Charles Oliveira’s title.
The not so long-awaited trilogy fight between McGregor and Poirier has finally arrived, taking place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 10th.
In the first bout between these two back in 2014, Conor got the better of the American just under two minutes into the first round. McGregor’s striking was too much for Poirier to handle as “The Notorious” would go onto with by TKO.
However, in their most recent matchup back in January it was Poirier who got the last laugh when he knocked out the Irishman in the second round. A flurry of calf kicks had McGregor stunned before the striking of Poirier took him to the canvas.
Now the two are set to face off in the ultimate five-round grudge match, to truly decide who is the best.
It is likely the winner of this fight will get offered a chance to take on Oliveira for the lightweight belt to reign supreme in the division.
The main card of UFC 264 also features fights between Gilbert Burns and Stephen Thompson, Greg Hardy and Tai Tuivasa as well as Yana Kunitskaya and Irene Aldena.
Picks
Poirier by KO, TKO, Sub or DQ (+150) – It’s no secret that the Conor McGregor allure is starting to wear off. The aging Irishmen has been far from impressive in his last few fights where he holds a 1-2 record including the second-round loss to Poirier just months ago. McGregor seems to be back in peak trash-talking form, but whether that translates to winning fights is yet to be seen. In both bouts between these two men, Conor brought the aggression early on. Poirier couldn’t withstand it back in 2014 but seemed to stand in well during their second meeting. I think it’s safe to say that McGregor may not strike as well as he used to and I think the confident American, who’s coming off that January victory, will get the better of him again. Neither one of these men want this fight to go to decision, considering the stakes, so expect this one to end inside the distance with Poirier lifting his hands to the sky.
Thompson/Burns to go the Distance (-122) – Age and recent form are both huge factors in this pick as both fighters come into this bout safely on the wrong side of 30. For Thompson, 38, seven of his last eight fights have ended in decision where he’s carried a measly 4-3-1 record. Burns has been a little more impressive in previous fights holding a six-fight win streak before his recent loss to Kamaru Usman. Four of those seven fights went the distance for Burns. Now the two will square off as the co-main event on Saturday night, which I expect will go to decision.
