The most anticipated Ultimate Fighting Championship bout of of 2021 has finally arrived. On Saturday night, inside Las Vegas, Nevada’s T-Mobile Arena, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will go to war for a third and final (?) time in the headliner of UFC 264. The event’s co-main event pits top five welterweights Gilbert Burns and Stephen Thompson in a battle with legit contendership implications. And the 13-bout card also features battles between ranked talent in women’s flyweight and bantamweight when Jennifer Maia battles Jessica Eye, and Irene Aldana faces off with Yana Kunitskaya.
How to watch UFC 264 on July 10
- The event kicks off with the early prelims at 6:15 pm ET on the promotion’s UFC Fight Pass streaming service
- Action then switches to ESPN and ESPN+ for the core preliminary portion of the card
- The main card pay-per-view begins at 10 pm ET exclusively on ESPN+
UFC 264 fight card
Main card (10 pm ET, ESPN+)
Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson
Tai Tuivasa vs. Greg Hardy
Irene Aldana vs. Yana Kunitskaya
Sean O’Malley vs. Kris Moutinho
Preliminary card (8 pm ET, ESPN & ESPN+)
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Trevin Giles
Early prelims (6:15 pm ET, UFC Fight Pass)
Omari Akhmedov vs. Brad Tavares
UFC 264 preview: Appointment television bouts
The biggest trilogy ever?
The UFC has seen many trilogy bouts with serious fanfare. Tito Ortiz versus Chuck Liddell, Cain Velasquez versus Junior Dos Santos and Dominick Cruz versus Urijah Faber being a few that had observers of the spot salivating. However, when you have one of the most popular talents in the sports history in a revenge fight against one of the most respected fighters in UFC history, it’s a recipe for a whole bunch of pay-per-view buys.
This bout between McGregor and Poirier doesn’t need any added hyping. They are two of the best lightweight mixed martial artists alive, and a couple of the most skilled strikers in the sport. Each man has a W on the other and the winner gets a massive legacy moment that will be linked to their name forever.
Gibert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson
In the shadow of the night’s main event is a fascinating bout between the number two and four ranked competitors at welterweight. Burns is in the midst of his prime and returns to the Octagon for the first time since his failed bid at the crown against Kamaru Usman in February. In his return he gets the timeless enigma that his Thompson. A 38-year-old who could be one impressive win away from jumping himself into a third chance at the title. It’s an excellent clash of styles in a big fight in the division.
Predicition: Burns by unanimous decision
Niko Price vs. Michel Pereira
Simply put, Niko Price versus Michel Pereira at UFC 264 should be buck wild. “The Hybrid” will have no fear in putting himself in harms way to earn the fourteenth finish of his career,while “Demolidor” is an artist in unpredictable and nonsensical violence. It really is a welterweight match made in fight fan heaven. It is the thesis of the “don’t blink” cliche.
Prediction: Pereira by TKO, round 2
Max Griffin vs. Carlos Condit
At UFC 264, Max Griffin gets a career defining opportunity. The 11-fight Octagon veteran has had difficulties in developing winning streak traction throughout his UFC career. A win against Carlos Condit–one of the great welterweights of the last decade–would be three straight Ws for the first time in seven years, and by far the biggest name added to his resume. For Condit, 37, it would be his first three fight win streak since 2012, and put him back into the relevancy conversation, and earn another fight in the Octagon. Most likely against a solid name in or near the back end of the top-15.
Prediction: Griffin by split-decision
