UFC 257 – Page 9 – Syndication Server

UFC 257 play-by-play and live results (7 p.m. ET)

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC 257 event, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) meets ex-lightweight and featherweight champ Conor McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a rematch from a 2014 fight won by McGregor. In the co-feature, former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotional debut against Dan Hooker (20-9 MMA, 10-5 UFC).

Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 7 p.m. ET for the early prelims on ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN, and 10 p.m. for the main card on pay-per-view.

To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC 257 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporters John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) and Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) on Twitter.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

UFC 257 live streaming watch-along with MMA Junkie Radio on SportsCastr (9 p.m. ET)

Join MMA Junkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a watch-along of UFC 257 headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier.

UFC 257 takes place Saturday with the return of the sport’s biggest star, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live streaming watch-along via SportsCastr that kicks off at 9 p.m. ET.

In the main event, former two-division champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is back from a year-long layoff to take on [autotag]Dustin Poirer[/autotag] in a highly anticipated rematch. And in the co-headliner, former Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] makes his UFC debut against top contender [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag].

UFC 257 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Here are the seven fights included in the watch-along:

Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker
Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
Makhmud Muradov vs. Andrew Sanchez
Amanda Ribas vs. Marina Rodriguez
Matt Frevola vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares

Be sure to check back and follow @MMAjunkie, @MMAjunkieRadio and @SportsCastrLive on Twitter to be notified when the guys go live.

Fight Game on the ‘Gram: Dustin Poirier’s best posts before UFC 257

Check out some of Dustin Poirier’s most popular Instagram posts ahead of UFC 257.

Social media is part of life in the fight game for most fighters. Many of them turn to Instagram to keep their fans and followers informed and entertained since (for now) its reputation is less vitriolic than some of its contemporaries.

Ahead of his fight against former lightweight and featherweight champ Conor McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), check out some of the most popular Instagram posts from former interim lightweight champion [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) over the past year.

Poirier and McGregor headline UFC 257, which takes place Saturday at Etihad Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Video: Khabib Nurmagomedov just doesn’t look that into Dana White’s pitch

Dana White just won’t quit, no matter how many times Khabib drops hints that he’s retired.

UFC president Dana White isn’t taking no for an answer from [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], and it might be starting to get a little cringe.

Khabib declared himself retired after his second-round finish of Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. That was three months ago. White, who has stripped fighters of titles at the drop of a hat over the years and handed out interim belts like Halloween candy, insists on maintaining Nurmagomedov’s championship recognition.

As the lightweight title status hovered over the impending UFC 257, which features three fighters who have laid claim to a version of a lightweight title in Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Michael Chandler, as well as a top contender in Dan Hooker, White claimed a meeting with Nurmagomedov would clear things up.

Instead, at UFC on ABC 1, White came out of that meeting and said Khabib told him he would watch the fights intently and maybe return to face the competitor who impressed him the most. Then Khabib basically told a Russian outlet, “Nah.”

But White is a man worth hundreds of millions of dollars who is rarely told no, so he’s not about to just go away. Check out this clip from the latest episode of “Dana White: Looking for a Fight,” as White talks up how big McGregor-Poirier is trending relative to what a Khabib-McGregor rematch could do.

Khabib politely resists:

Khabib is the hot chick at the bar and Dana is the desperate dude that won’t catch the hint that she’s just not that into you pic.twitter.com/sVDGwEEL9Q

— Ashley the MMA Nerd (@The_MMA_Nerd) January 22, 2021

Most people would get the hint by this point, but then, White didn’t help turn the UFC from a dead brand into a multibillion dollar juggernaut by taking no for an answer.

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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UFC 257 preview video: Breaking down Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2 and more

Let MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun walk you through everything you need to know about UFC 257.

ABU DHABI — The first blockbuster UFC event of 2021 is here, and MMA Junkie has you covered.

We’ve had multiple reporters on the ground all throughout the UFC’s three-event stint at “Fight Island” to kick off the MMA calendar, and it’s all leading up to the big one: UFC 257, which takes place at Etihad Arena with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+

In the main event, former two-division champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] makes his highly anticipated return after one year off to rematch former interim lightweight champ [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]. And in the co-headliner, former Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] finally makes his UFC debut looking to make a strong first impression against [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] in a pivotal fight at 155 pounds.

So what should we expect from the big fights, and what else on this card is worth keeping an eye on? Let MMA Junkie’s own Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun walk you through everything important at UFC 257. Check out their preview in the video above.

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Michael Chandler reviews first official UFC fight week on cusp of debut at UFC 257

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler reviews hist first official UFC fight week now that he’s just hours away from promotional debut.

UFC 257 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier go face to face

UFC 257 fight week heats up as the four featured lightweights give their thoughts in the press conference.

The UFC returns Saturday night with its first pay-per-view offering of 2021, UFC 257, and the return of the promotion’s biggest star.

UFC 257 takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+

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The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars and more. Here’s the UFC’s description from YouTube:

Michael Chandler and Dan Hooker watch fights and stay sharp. Amanda Ribas downplays her singing skills. Dana White oversees a presser of bad dads where Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier come face to face.

Miss an episode? We’ve got them here for you:

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UFC 257: Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier full card odds

Here are the odds for Saturday’s fight.

The last time Conor McGregor was in an octagon, he was out of there in just 40 seconds after a win over Donald Cerrone a year ago.

And then there was the retirement talk from McGregor before he decided to return to fight Dustin Poirier in the upcoming UFC 257 — in case you need three reasons to watch, our Andy Nesbitt provided you with three of them — which you can order through ESPN+.

There are also other bouts to bet on, but if you’re looking for the odds for the main event, you’ve come to the right place. Here they are (all bets courtesy of BetMGM):

Dustin Poirier (+240) vs. Conor McGregor (-300)

Dan Hooker (-130) vs. Michael Chandler (+110)

Jessica Eye (+100) vs. Joanna Calderwood (-120)

Matt Frevola (+135) vs. Ottman Azaitar (-160)

Marina Rodriguez (+260) vs. Amanda Ribas (-350)

Armen Tsarukyan (-300) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (+240)

Brad Tavares (-135) vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (+110)

Juilianna Pena (+110) vs. Sara McMann (-130)

Khalil Rountree Jr. (-350) vs. Marcin Prachnio (+270)

Andrew Sanchez (+120) vs. Makhmud Muradov (-145)

Nik Lentz (+375) vs. Movsar Evloev (-550)

Amir Albazi (-105) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (-115)

We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

UFC 257 predictions: Who’s picking Dustin Poirier to upset Conor McGregor?

Check out our staff members’ picks for UFC 257’s main card, featuring Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker.

	Poirier vs. McGregor	Chandler vs. Hooker	Calderwood vs. Eye	Ribas vs. Rodriguez
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 5-6	McGregor (62%)	Hooker (57%)	Calderwood (58%)	Ribas (94%)
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 8-3 2014 Champion	Poirier	Hooker	Calderwood	Ribas
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 7-4	Poirier	Hooker	Calderwood	Ribas
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 7-4 2020 Champion	McGregor	Chandler	Eye	Ribas
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 7-4 2018 Champion	McGregor	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 6-6	Poirier	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 6-5	McGregor	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 6-5	McGregor	Hooker	Calderwood	Ribas
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 6-5 2017 Champion	McGregor	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2021: 5-6	McGregor	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 5-6	Poirier	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas
Simon Head @simonhead 2021: 5-6 2019 Champion*	McGregor	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 5-6	McGregor	Hooker	Calderwood	Ribas
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 4-7	McGregor	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 4-7	McGregor	Chandler	Calderwood	Ribas

(Editor’s note: The main card fight between Ottman Azaitar and Matt Frevola was canceled Friday during weigh-ins. The new main card fight between Makhmud Muradov and Andrew Sanchez was added too late for our picks deadline.)

The UFC wraps up its three-event stint over eight days on “Fight Island” with its biggest draw.

UFC 257 takes place Saturday at Etihad Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former interim lightweight champion [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) meets ex-lightweight and featherweight champ [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a rematch from a 2014 fight won by McGregor. McGregor is a 3-1 favorite at BetMGM, and he’s got a sizable 10-4 lead from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, former Bellator lightweight champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotional debut against [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (20-9 MMA, 10-5 UFC). Hooker is just a slight favorite at -130, but it’s Chandler with a big 10-4 picks lead.

[autotag]Joanne Calderwood[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) may have the slimmest betting odds in her favor on the main card at -120 for her women’s flyweight bout against former title challenger [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 5-7 UFC), but the picks are a blowout at 13-1 for Calderwood.

And [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is a -350 favorite in her women’s strawweight fight against [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (12-1-2 MMA, 2-1-2 UFC). Ribas is our only unanimous pick, and she’s also our readers’ biggest favorite at a whopping 94 percent.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, McGregor (62 percent), Hooker (57 percent), Calderwood (58 percent) and Ribas (94 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC 257 ceremonial weigh-in video highlights and photo gallery

Check out the faceoffs for all 11 fights at UFC 257, including Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker.

ABU DHABI – Ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC 257 are now complete following Friday’s festivites.

Saturday’s card, which takes place at Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+, is headlined by a rematch between [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC UFC) and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who meet in a high-stakes lightweight contender matchup. Another pivotal 155-pound bout serves as the co-main event as former Bellator champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotional debut against [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (20-9 MMA, 9-6 UFC).

Check out the faceoff highlights for all 11 fights in the video above, as well as a complete photo gallery below.

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