The wait is over. UFC 264, one of the most anticipated cards on the 2021 Ultimate Fighting Championship calendar, is just hours away.
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier’s winding road to tomorrow night’s main event slot, and the biggest trilogy fight in recent memory, has come to its final hurdle with today’s mandatory UFC 264 weigh-in.
The lightweight superstars and the other 24 competitors on the 13-fight card took to the scales at noon ET at the UFC Apex to make their bookings for tomorrow night official.
The July 10 event kicks off with early preliminary action at 6:15 pm ET on UFC Fight Pass. The broadcast then transitions to ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 pm ET for the featured prelim bouts. And finally, the main card pay-per-view begins at 10 pm ET exclusively on ESPN+.
Main card (10 pm ET, ESPN+)
Dustin Poirier () vs. Conor McGregor ()
Gilbert Burns () vs. Stephen Thompson ()
Greg Hardy () vs. Tai Tuivasa ()
Irene Aldana () vs. Yana Kunitskaya ()
Kris Moutinho () vs. Sean O’Malley ()
Preliminary card (8 pm ET, ESPN & ESPN+)
Carlos Condit () vs. Max Griffin ()
Michel Pereira () vs. Niko Price ()
Ryan Hall () vs. Ilia Topuria ()
Dricus Du Plessis () vs. Trevin Giles ()
Early preliminary card (6:15 pm ET, UFC Fight Pass)
Jessica Eye () vs. Jennifer Maia ()
Omari Akhmedov () vs. Brad Tavares ()
Jerome Rivera () vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov ()
Alen Amedovski () vs. Hu Yaozong ()
Will the old Conor McGregor please stand-up?
The most notable narrative heading into the UFC 264 headliner has been which version of the 32-year-old “Notorious” one will show up on fight night.
The Irishman has certainly worked hard over the last couple of days to elevate his fight week trash-talk antics to levels observers are more familiar with. A stark contrast to the gracious and respectful McGregor we saw before his bout with Donald Cerrone, and January rematch with Poirier.
However, the bigger question is does McGregor who fought from a karate-based style and was a two-division champion return, or do we get the boxing-heavy version that manifested after his blockbuster bout with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather?
Which version shows up could very well be the difference in McGregor scoring another victory on “Diamond” like he did in 2014, or taking a legacy-defining L in this historic trilogy.
Other worthwhile watches at UFC 264
Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson – In a nutshell, an impressive win for Stephen Thompson at UFC could go a long way in helping him jump the line into a title shot.
Gilbert Burns gains a lot from a big victory, but having just lost definitively to reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in February, he likely needs two wins to jump back into contention. However, the always popular “Wonderboy” has a great story of an old veteran rise back to contention, plus he’s one of the few talents in the top five to not have faced Usman yet.
Niko Price vs. Michel Pereira – This is the personification of a “don’t blink” fight at welterweight. Niko Price is a talent willing to risk consciousness to put his hands on opponents. Brazilian fighting acrobat Michel Pereira offers an offensive arsenal that seems half-baked but is violent. If this fight goes to a decision somehow, both men likely had an off night at the job.
Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria – The prelims features a bout between two very interesting prospects at featherweight in Ryan Hall and Ilia Topuria. It’s hard to call Hall a prospect at 36, but the man only has nine pro MMA fights. Brace CF veteran Topuria is 24, with 10 bouts. That’s a prospect too.
This clash offers a fascinating contrast in a rare grappling specialist in Hall, against a well-rounded finisher in Spain’s Topuria. Logic says the well-rounded talent should overcome, however, “The Wizard” has his name for a reason. This could decide the next future star at 145- pounds.
Join the discussion on this topic…