The UFC’s first pay-per-view of 2021 happens this Saturday night on ESPN+ with a lightweight main event matchup between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
McGregor makes his return to the UFC’s Octagon for the first time since he stopped Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in just 40 seconds last January. McGregor has been seeking more competition and Poirier will be the first man to stand across from the Irishman this year.
McGregor vs. Poirier is also a rematch of an earlier bout from 2014 that saw McGregor walk away victorious after a fast, 1:40 technical knockout victory at UFC 178. But many are expecting this fight to be a much tougher one for McGregor as Poirier has improved immensely since that first fight in the featherweight division.
UFC 257 also features a highly-anticipated lightweight co-main event with Dan Hooker facing former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler. Chandler will be making his UFC debut and we’ll immediately see where he stands among the best lightweights in the UFC this weekend.
UFC 257 streams live on ESPN+ this Saturday night. Continue reading for information regarding how to watch McGregor vs. Poirier as well as the full updated fight card and bout order.
Here’s what you need to watch the UFC 257 PPV event:
- An active ESPN+ subscription (or an active Disney Bundle subscription)
- Purchased the UFC 257 pay-per-view event
- A supported device to watch the fights live or post-event replay (e.g. TV, mobile device, computer)
Updated UFC 257 fight card
UFC 257 fight card, start time, and bout order
Saturday, January 23 – Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Main Card – 10:00 pm (ET) on ESPN+ PPV
- Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
- Dan Hooker vs. Michael Chandler
- Jessica Eye vs. Joanne Calderwood
- Andrew Sanchez vs. Makhmud Muradov
- Marina Rodriguez vs. Amanda Ribas
Prelims – 8:00 pm (ET) on ESPN+
- Arman Tsarukyan vs. Matt Frevola
- Brad Tavares vs. Antonio Carlos Junior
- Julianna Pena vs. Sara McMann
- Khalil Rountree Jr vs. Marcin Prachnio
Early Prelims – 7:00 pm (ET) on ESPN+
- Movsar Evloev vs. Nik Lentz
- Amir Albazi vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
UFC 257 fight card changes
Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola canceled after Azaitar violated health and safety protocols
White tells me Azaitar and his team cut their wristbands and handed them to others outside of the safe zone that snuck in past the security members and everything was caught on camera.
— Farah Hannoun (@Farah_Hannoun) January 22, 2021
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Arman Tsarukyan canceled after Haqparast pulled from the card due to illness
A statement from Nasrat Haqparast pic.twitter.com/YBK6NCGJjd
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) January 22, 2021