Ahead of UFC 257 going down this weekend, the UFC Youtube page has released a countdown show. The main event of UFC 257 features the return of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor taking on Dustin Poirier in a rematch. The co-main event sees Dan Hooker welcome Michael Chandler to the big league, again at lightweight.
UFC 257 – Main Event
Returning after a year away, McGregor looks to restart his assault on the division that he previously controlled. The former champion is only 1-1 at 155lbs and in both fights, he’s competed for the belt. This is, of course, a rematch of their 2014 fight, where McGregor got the victory via knockout early in the first. Since then, McGregor has captured two belts, made his professional boxing debut and gone 6-2 in MMA. Oh, he’s also ‘retired’ three times…
Dustin Poirier has focussed a lot more on his MMA skills and has improved massively. This has coincided with his move up to 155lbs, where he now looks more than settled. Since his loss to McGregor, ‘The Diamond’ has gone 10-2-0-1 and realised a title shot in 2019. Although the Irishman is the betting favourite, Poirier will carry a lot of momentum into the bout. Having gone 25 minutes with the man in the co-main event, Dan Hooker, Poirier will be ready for war at UFC 257.
UFC 257 – Co-Main
The co-main event sees Dan Hooker look to steal the thunder of the debuting former Bellator champion, Michael Chandler. We suggested that this should be the match-up to make and clearly, the UFC matchmakers thought the same. Hooker is 8-2 at lightweight in the UFC and it’s baffling that he ever made 145lbs. Chandler is 6-1 in his last seven, all under the Bellator banner.
What is likely to play a big factor in this one is Dan Hooker’s range and knee attacks. We saw against Ross Pearson how deadly ‘The Hangman’s knees can be. With Chandler often leaning on his wrestling, he’ll have to make sure he avoids any blows by Hooker when shooting in. He also fights long, catching opponents on the end of his punches, another thing Chandler will have to watch out for. In what promises to be an intriguing co-main event, UFC 257 has it all.
Featured Image
Embed from Getty Images
