UFC 257 Results: Poirier vs. McGregor 2

UFC 257 brought Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor’s lightweight rematch to Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The event aired January 23, 2021, in the United States and took place January 24 locally. Poirier reversed their first meeting, while Michael Chandler made an immediate impact in his UFC debut.

Poirier changes the terms of the rematch

McGregor had won their 2014 featherweight meeting, but this second fight unfolded differently. Poirier mixed grappling with repeated calf kicks, limiting McGregor’s movement as the contest progressed. He then increased his boxing pressure and finished with punches at 2:32 of round two.

The stoppage evened their rivalry at one win apiece. This was a non-title lightweight contest, so Poirier did not become undisputed champion that night. Its importance was the result itself and the way his tactical changes created the opening for the finish.

Chandler’s debut delivers an early finish

Chandler stopped Dan Hooker at 2:30 of the first round in the co-main event. A powerful left hand and follow-up punches gave the former Bellator champion a decisive introduction to UFC competition.

Marina Rodriguez also won by stoppage, defeating Amanda Ribas in the second round. Makhmud Muradov finished Andrew Sanchez late, while Joanne Calderwood beat Jessica Eye by unanimous decision. The main card therefore produced several consequential results beyond the rematch.

The preliminaries and the return of spectators

Arman Tsarukyan defeated Matt Frevola in a reorganized matchup, and Julianna Pena submitted Sara McMann in round three. Brad Tavares, Marcin Prachnio, Movsar Evloev and Amir Albazi added decision victories.

UFC 257 was the first pay-per-view of 2021, with a limited audience at Etihad Arena. It was part of a January Abu Dhabi series that had already welcomed spectators at earlier Fight Night events. That context corrects the impression that UFC 257 alone marked the first return of fans during the pandemic.

Complete UFC 257 results

• Dustin Poirier def. Conor McGregor — TKO (punches), R2, 2:32.
• Michael Chandler def. Dan Hooker — TKO (punches), R1, 2:30.
• Joanne Calderwood def. Jessica Eye — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Makhmud Muradov def. Andrew Sanchez — TKO (flying knee and punches), R3, 2:59.
• Marina Rodriguez def. Amanda Ribas — TKO (elbow and punches), R2, 0:54.
• Arman Tsarukyan def. Matt Frevola — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Brad Tavares def. Antonio Carlos Junior — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Julianna Pena def. Sara McMann — submission (rear-naked choke), R3, 3:39.
• Marcin Prachnio def. Khalil Rountree — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Movsar Evloev def. Nik Lentz — split decision, R3, 5:00.
• Amir Albazi def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.

Sources

UFC 257 official results; Sherdog: UFC 257 complete event record.

Article Tags

UFC, UFC 257, Mixed Martial Arts