Tag: UFC 257

Every UFC event in history with three or more weigh-in misses

Check out which UFC events saw the most issues on the scale before fight night.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Making weight is part of the job of a mixed martial artist.

Throughout the sport’s history, many fighters have experienced weigh-in day blunders on the scale. Whether they attempted to cut too much, mismanaged their weight loss goal, or experienced a medical issue, there are a number of reasons that may cause fighters to step on the scale above their contracted weights.

Many events see all competitors make weight without issue, but a fighter or two coming in heavy isn’t uncommon. However, there are rare instances that see three or more tip the scale too heavy, causing dramatic moments the day before the fights. Four is the high mark, which has occurred on four occasions.

Scroll below to see which UFC events, in chronological order, saw three or more misses.

Conor McGregor shares receipt, reveals massive UFC 257 pay-per-view buy rate

Conor McGregor has the receipt – and he wants the world to know what it shows.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] has the receipt – and he wants the world to know what it shows.

On Monday, McGregor tweeted an image of a document labeled “PPV BUY SUMMARY FOR CONOR MCGREGOR,” which showed the buy rate of UFC 257, which he headlined in January against [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]. The fight was a rematch of their UFC 178 in September 2014 and saw McGregor lose via second-round TKO.

According to the image, the pay-per-view event collected 1,504,737 buys – 4,449 more than the projected buys of 1,5000,238. No further information, like the sum of McGregor’s pay-per-view point earnings, was provided.

McGregor, 33, remains undisputedly the top-grossing UFC fighter of all time. All five of the top-selling pay-per-views in promotion history involved McGregor. He also served as one half of the mega-crossover pay-per-view main event against Floyd Mayweather in August 2017.

In May, McGregor was named the highest-paid athlete in sports, topping a list with names such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer, and Lebron James. The figures included his UFC pay and whiskey company earnings from Proper No. 12 among other figures.

Currently, McGregor is on the shelf as he recovers from a broken leg suffered in his July trilogy fight against Poirier. A former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion, McGregor anticipates a 2022 return.

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Triple Take: Which UFC pay-per-view main event has been best of 2021?

The UFC has been on fire on pay-per-view in 2021, but which of the headliners has produced the most memorable win? Our panel discusses.

The UFC has been on fire on pay-per-view in 2021. This past Saturday’s UFC 262 event was the latest in a strong stretch of numbered events that saw the headliner deliver the goods.

Five of six main events this year have ended in a stoppage, including two title defenses and another pair of results that saw new champions crowned. Charles Oliveira, of course, was among the latter, as he became new lightweight title with a second-round TKO of Michael Chandler on Houston in a memorable battle.

Oliveira’s performance continued the trend of big wins in pay-per-view, but which has been best? MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Farah Hannoun and Nolan King discuss in the latest edition of “Triple Take.”

Dustin Poirier: Conor McGregor didn’t follow through with $500,000 charity donation

Dustin Poirier claims Conor McGregor didn’t follow through with his sizable charity donation in the aftermath of UFC 257.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] claims [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] didn’t follow through with his sizable charity donation in the aftermath of UFC 257.

Prior to their rematch in January, McGregor promised to donate $500,000 to Poirier’s “The Good Fight Foundation.” MMA Junkie confirmed with representative from both teams the night prior to UFC 257 that banking information had been exchanged, and the last of the details were being finalized.

Then Poirier won the fight by second-round TKO in the headliner in Abu Dhabi, and according to “The Diamond,” the trail went cold.

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On Sunday, Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) responded to McGregor’s (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) recent prediction that he would win the trilogy fight at UFC 264 on July 10 by fourth-round knockout courtesy of a front kick. However, added an extra layer by outing his rival for not having lived up to his promise of payment (via Twitter):

That’s a fun prediction! @TheNotoriousMMA you also predicted a donation to my foundation and you and your team stopped responding after the fight in January.
See you soon.
July 10th Paid In Full!

Poirier has used his fight career to help elevate “The Good Fight Foundation” over the past several years. He’s attached charity goals to each of his fights, with his philanthropic efforts including building water wells to repair a ruined water supply at an orphanage and school in Uganda, building a playground for special needs children, supplying backpacks for more than 500 schoolchildren, and, most recently, providing transportation and tutoring for struggling youth through The Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana.

The intention for McGregor’s donation was to build a gym in Poirier’s home town of Lafayette, La., that would allow him to offer free training to youngsters.

McGregor has yet to respond to Poirier’s post about flaking on the donation, and McGregor’s team at Paradigm Sports Management did not immediately respond to MMA Junkie’s request for comment on the situation.

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Dana White: Conor McGregor wants Dustin Poirier trilogy ‘as soon as possible,’ working on summer date

There is now seemingly no doubt that a trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is next for both men.

There is now seemingly no doubt that a trilogy fight between [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] is next for both men.

After Poirier (28-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) got redemption with a second-round TKO of McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in January at UFC 257, all signs have slowly started to shift toward a rubber match coming to fruition.

Poirier recently said on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast that he’s ready for it to happen but is waiting for “the right deal” to be put on the table.

According to UFC president Dana White, who appeared on “The Jim Rome Show” on Wednesday, McGregor is keen to get in there with Poirier again immediately, but White said the wait could last until summer.

“Conor’s ready to roll,” White said. “Conor wants to fight again. He wants the rematch with Dustin Poirier, and he wants it as soon as possible. We’re working on it. Hopefully this summer”

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White has said in the past that McGregor is “obsessed” with earning redemption over Poirier, much like when he had a setback against Nate Diaz before rebounding just five months later in the second fight.

McGregor’s mindset and commitment toward evolving in the sport have repeatedly come into question in the aftermath of UFC 257. From White’s perspective, though, the former two-division champion is doing what he needs to do.

“I think the loss put him back into a really good place,” White said. “It’s the classic ‘Rocky III.’ You’re pulling up to the fight in yachts and covered in Versace and you got all the money in the world, it’s hard to stay hungry.”

For their part, McGregor and Poirier have already started building up some hype toward a likely final encounter (via Twitter):

Max Holloway laughs about skateboarding past Conor McGregor’s interview

Max Holloway explains what exactly happened when he caught Conor McGregor’s attention on “Fight Island.”

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] grabbed the headlines in and out of the octagon during his stay on “Fight Island” in January.

The former featherweight champion made all the noise when he put on a remarkable performance against a very tough and durable Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC on ABC 1, but he didn’t stop there.

Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) then stayed in Abu Dhabi to serve as the backup for the rematch between Dustin Poirier and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] at UFC 257, and the Hawaiian put himself on McGregor’s radar in unexpected fashion.

During my interview with McGregor for UFC Arabia, “Hiker Holloway” was skateboarding about outside our window, and a laughing McGregor couldn’t help but notice.

But Holloway explains that while he didn’t know it was McGregor in that room, he fully intended on getting the interviewee’s attention.

And it absolutely worked.

“We were with the boys, with the team, and I was on my skateboard and we know that’s where you do interviews, right? So I didn’t know who was in it, but I was like, ‘If someone’s interviewing, I’m gonna act like an idiot passing the whole window,'” Holloway grinned. “So I was doing stupid stuff like this (flails arms around) the whole time when I was riding past and, of course, it’s Conor’s interview, so it was just funny.”

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Though McGregor would end up losing to Poirier at UFC 257, Holloway isn’t ruling out the possibility of a rematch with the Irishman sometime down the line. The story between the pair continues to build nicely from their first fight, which saw McGregor claim a unanimous decision win at UFC Fight Night 26 in August 2013, and Holloway said a rematch simply comes down to a matter of timing.

“The UFC had that fight on a very short list, I believe, and the beautiful thing about this sport is time,” Holloway added. “Timing is everything and you know this so we’ll see what happens. I don’t want to kick the man when he’s down or talk about him, so let him figure out his stuff, and I’ll be right here. Timing is everything in this sport, so we’ll see what happens.”

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Dustin Poirier ‘blown away’ by The Good Fight Foundation’s success, and that’s just the start

Dustin Poirier wants to see other fighters get involved with The Good Fight Foundation in the future.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] has already established himself as perhaps the UFC’s most charitable fighter. He’s got the recognition to prove it, but in his mind this is just the start of what’s possible.

Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) has spent the past several years using his platform to give back through his non-profit charity, The Good Fight Foundation. It all started relatively small, with Poirier opting to auction off his fight-worn gear so he could purchase backpacks with school supplies for children in his community of Lafayette, La.

As Poirier’s success inside the octagon has flourished, though, his opportunities for philanthropy outside the cage have grown, too.

Poirier, No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, is not content to rest on his laurels. “The Diamond” wants his charity to keep trending upward, and he has a grand vision that involves other fighters doing for their respective communities what he’s trying to do for his.

“I would like to start being a platform where others fighters can do things in their hometowns,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “Me and The Good Fight Foundation have done things outside of Louisiana, but obviously I grew up here in Lafayette, so the bulk of the things we do are in my local, immediate community. But I would love for other fighters across combat sports, not even just mixed martial arts, but boxers – whoever feels in their heart they can benefit their community to auction things off to The Good Fight or to team up with us for goals and raise money and raise awareness for their fights for goals in their local communities. I think that The Good Fight Foundation could be across combat sports, and do a lot of great things for local communities of other fighters.”

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In the past, charity goals around Poirier’s fights have included building water wells to repair a ruined water supply at an orphanage and school in Uganda, building a playground for special-needs children, and more.

Poirier’s most recent fight against Conor McGregor at UFC 257 involved one of his more significant goals to date. His foundation teamed up with The Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana to “help bridge the gap in academic success by providing transportation and tutoring” in what is called “Project Learn.”

The goal of “Project Learn” was to provide transportation and tutoring for children from multiple different areas who have had their education limited through the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The financial benchmark to complete that goal was high, he admitted, but through multiple avenues including the auction of his UFC 257 fight kit – which sold for $26,200 on eBay – Poirier said another goal is trending toward reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGPafoBKkEw

“I think our crowdfunding, we were hoping to raise $105,000 or $107,000 for The Boys & Girls Club,” Poirier said. “That’s what they told us and gave us the metrics that was going to cost for the tutors and the transportation to their six locations. We told them, ‘Hey, let’s set this big goal and let’s make it happen.’ As of right now I think we have close to $60,000 or $70,000 raised towards that goal. It’s not reflected on the crowdfunding page because there was a lot of donations that came in through PayPal and also straight to our The Good Fight Foundation account.

“Any donations given to The Good Fight in the past, since we announced the goal, we’re just going to move those funds into the crowd funding account so it can be reflected and we can see how much money we raise for that particular goal. I think for sure we have like $30,000 that needs to be moved over to that goal, then the fight kit is going to sell, then Michael Chiesa is going to donate (his fight kit from UFC on ESPN 20). The traction is amazing and 100 percent we’re going to hit this goal.”

Poirier’s efforts have resonated for more than just himself. For his UFC 242 title unification fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov exchanged walkout shirts with Poirier after they shared the octagon and both sold for a pretty penny. McGregor donated a whopping $500,000 to Poirier’s charity around their UFC 257 rematch, and Poirier has a pecific idea in mind for that money.

It’s Poirier’s desire to put McGregor’s donation toward building a gym in Lafayette that will serve as a home to teaching combat sports to struggling youth. It’s a plan that’s slowly coming together, Poirier said, but there are many hurdles to deal with before it’s a standing and fully operational facility.

“With the gym and something of that magnitude and all the moving parts, especially building something with children, there’s so many things that have to be locked and done right and there’s just a lot of things to tie up,” Poirier said. “That process is going to take some time.”

For now, though, Poirier is going to keep striving. His fighting career has never had more traction than right now, and although he’s stunned at how far things have come, he said it’s his complete intention to keep parlaying it into more.

“I’m honestly blown away at how much traction the foundation’s got and how much it’s grown over the last few years,” Poirier said. “There’s so many huge ups and positive about the position I’m in now. My charity, just so many things. My platform with The Good Fight Foundation. I have so many good things going on right now. I’m very thankful and grateful to be in the position I’ve fought myself into and I’m entering my prime. I have lots of great fights left in me.”

You can donate at TheGoodFightGroup.com.

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Dustin Poirier says there’s been no movement on a Conor McGregor trilogy bout

Dustin Poirier doesn’t know when or where a trilogy fight with Conor McGregor will materialize after winning the rematch at UFC 257.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] doesn’t know when or where a trilogy fight with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] could potentially materialize after winning their rematch at UFC 257.

In the aftermath of his second-round TKO of McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi in January, Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) said he hasn’t been contacted by anyone from the UFC or McGregor’s team about a third encounter with “The Notorious.”

Publicly, McGregor’s head coach, John Kavanagh of SBG Ireland, has pushed for a trilogy fight to take place perhaps as soon as May or June. That’s not all that far off, and if that’s indeed what McGregor is angling for, Poirier said there’s been no movement behind the scenes.

“I don’t know what they’re saying behind closed doors,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “I haven’t been reached out yet by the UFC or by Conor’s management about the trilogy fight. So I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I haven’t been reached out to the UFC about anything.”

After losing the first fight to McGregor by first-round TKO at UFC 178 in September 2014, Poirier put on a stellar performance in the rematch. He used vicious leg kicks to immobilize McGregor, then finished the job with head strikes in the second round, becoming the first to knock out his Irish foe in MMA competition.

Poirier said he knew his kicks would be effective, and he’s pleased with his performance.

“I know the leg kicks definitely compromised his movement,” Poirier said. “I’ve had my legs torn up by Jim Miller, and I know the pain and what happens to your foot. It stops working with, it stops listening to your commands when you want to spring back and push forward. Things just are moving differently, and on top of that the pain is just so, so bad. That’s one of the worst pains I’ve ever had in fights, whenever my calf got kicked over and over and over again. I think that stopped his mobility, but ultimately hands got the job done.”

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Poirier said he felt confident going into the bout with McGregor that he could win by knockout, submission or decision. That presumably wouldn’t change going into a trilogy, but there’s a good chance both sides would make tactical adjustments to the point it’d once again create a different looking fight.

One thing that won’t change going into a potential third clash with McGregor, though, is Poirier’s mindset. He openly admits McGregor’s antics got into his head years back ahead of their first meeting, but he shook all that off for the rematch and was a vault that couldn’t be penetrated.

Poirier said post-fight that he didn’t feel the same “aura” from McGregor in the rematch as the first time, and he doesn’t expect that to change should they ever share the octagon again.

“I don’t think it’s something that he didn’t have coming into this fight, I just think its something that I didn’t put energy into and didn’t recognize like I did the first time,” Poirier said. “These guys are men just like me, and I promise you they all bleed. That’s just my mindset. It’s not a knock on Conor or putting Conor down in any way, that’s just the way I feel about fighting and about these opponents of mine.”

To hear the full interview with Poirier, check out the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGPafoBKkEw

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Dustin Poirier relishes target after Conor McGregor win, will step back until best option emerges

Dustin Poirier isn’t looking to fast play anything with his fighting career after scoring a signature victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 257.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] isn’t looking to fast play anything with his fighting career after scoring a signature victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 257.

Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) redeemed one of the most noteworthy losses of his career in his rematch with McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) earlier this month. He scored a second-round TKO of the former two-division champion on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, and now the future appears to be very bright for him.

In the aftermath of the fight, Poirier has been the center of attention in the lightweight division. McGregor’s team has expressed interest in a rematch, Nate Diaz said he wants to reschedule their scratched matchup from UFC 230 in November 2018. Michael Chandler has pitched the idea of a vacant lightweight title bout, as has Charles Oliveira. And Tony Ferguson also wants a piece of “The Diamond.”

Poirier said he enjoys everyone is coming for him, and he’s well aware that he’s currently the man at 155 pounds.

“I’ve got a target on my back,” Poirier told MMA Junkie on Sunday. “(I’m a former) interim world champion, I just knocked out Conor McGregor, and now I’m No. 1 and the only person above me, (Khabib Nurmagomedov), might never fight again. People want to climb that ladder, and in order to do that, you’ve got to beat the guys at the top. You’ve got to beat the next guys in line, so I understand why the target is on my back, and I wear it proudly.

“I am the uncrowned lightweight champ. If Khabib’s out, I am the best in the division. Former interim world champion, former title challenger. I just took out a two-division former world champion. I am the champ. I know that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGPafoBKkEw

The only thing that differentiates Poirier’s word from the reality of the situation is that he doesn’t have ownership of the UFC lightweight title. That still belongs to Nurmagomedov, who seemingly has closed the door on making a return to the octagon after retiring from MMA following his title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October.

UFC president Dana White said post-fight at UFC 257 he likes the idea of a vacant title bout between Poirier and Chandler, a former Bellator champion who made a memorable debut the same night against Dan Hooker before Poirier stopped McGregor. Poirier immediately shot that down after the fight, citing his opinion Chandler hasn’t done enough under the UFC banner to warrant the opportunity.

Poirier thinks Oliveira, who is riding an eight-fight winning streak in the division, is a different story, though. But if the UFC doesn’t want to move forward with more sensible options, Poirier said he’ll pull himself out of the equation.

“I want to be the world champion, and Charles is a guy that’s paid his dues,” Poirier said. “He’s earned where he’s at, no doubt about it. Let him and Chandler fight for the belt. If they want Chandler in there for the title, and he’s calling for the title. Let them fight for the belt. I’ll take a step back and just watch.”

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The possibility of a trilogy fight with McGregor is something Poirier doesn’t rule out either, he said. The perks of that fight are obvious, from exposure to financial gain. Despite his team coming out in favor of a third matchup, McGregor hasn’t said anything beyond his immediate post-fight comments, when he said it was something of interest.

What Poirier does know, however, is that he hasn’t been contacted directly about anything. And until then, nothing is real.

“It’s tough to call,” Poirier said. “I don’t know what they’re saying behind closed doors. And I haven’t been reached out yet by the UFC or by Conor’s management about the trilogy fight. So I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I haven’t been reached out to the UFC about anything.”

So until the UFC brings Poirier a matchup he deems worth his time and energy, he’s not jumping to push for anything definitive. All that’s on his mind now is the immediate plan of taking his wife, Jolie, and daughter, Parker, on vacation.

“The future is bright, for sure,” Poirier said. “I haven’t even really thought about it that far. Might go on a snow trip with my wife and my daughter in a couple of weeks. That’s what next.”

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