Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier will go down September 27 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at UFC 178.
The news comes via the UFC UK Twitter account just three days after McGregor defeated Diego Brandao at UFC Fight Night 46 in Dublin, Ireland.
While this bout was largely expected by the MMA community, it’s no less exciting now that it’s here.
McGregor, equally recognized for his mouth as his fists, is 3-0 since entering the UFC in April 2013 with two first-round finishes. Even without a Top 10 win in his UFC career, he’s talked about as much as the division’s Top Five, a testament to his polarizing attitude and his sharp tongue.
Poirier, meanwhile, is not so impressed with the Irish superstar.
He recently deemed McGregor “not even top 10” on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, and the Diamond is on a three-fight winning streak of his own, so Notorious’ accomplishments mean little in his eyes.
Poirier has previously sniffed No. 1 contender’s fights in the division, stumbling to both Chan Sung Jung and Cub Swanson and keeping himself away from the title in the process. If, however, he can defeat McGregor, he will launch himself right back into another high-profile bout or, potentially, the title fight itself.
McGregor may not be a top-10 fighter in the Diamond’s eyes, but there’s no doubt that this fight will receive significant media and fan attention, and the fight’s victor will be primed for greatness in the increasingly stacked UFC featherweight division.
With the addition of this fight, UFC 178 is looking phenomenal. It’s arguably the most stacked event of the year, and there’s still time to add another big-time showdown or two to the card, so stay tuned to Bleacher Report as the event assumes its final form.
For now, here is the current lineup for the September show:
Which fight are you most looking forward to?
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