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WATCH: Giannis Antetokounmpo Extremely Hyped as Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier Kicks Off at UFC 257

Published 01/23/2021, 10:27 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Conor McGregor is returning to the UFC after a year away from the sport. While the world has changed a lot in the last year, the one thing that has not changed is the excitement for a Conor return, which transcends sports. McGregor is facing one of the best lightweights in the world in Dustin Poirier, a rematch that has been almost 7 years in the making.

Two-time NBA MVP and forward for the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, looks extremely excited for McGregor’s return. The Bucks put out a video of Giannis talking about Conor’s return. The video is made in a joking tone, as Giannis goes and tries to demonstrate basic MMA technique on one of his assistant coaches.

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McGregor last fought in the Octagon against Donald Cerrone last January. However, that fight was an easy win for Conor, who finished Cerrone in the first minute of the fight. The expectation for this fight is similar, but Poirier is no joke. He is easily the best LW in the division right now, and this fight has genuine title implications.

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Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier: Seven years in the making?

While Giannis is excited for the fight as a regular MMA fan, many people have been waiting for this rematch for years. Conor McGregor finished Poirier the last time they faced each other within the first round and has promised a quick finish this time as well.

via Getty

However, Poirier has put together an impressive run and has become an interim champion. He has beaten a lot of the people that Conor beat. However, he too lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov as McGregor did. Poirer rebounded in a fantastic showing against Dan Hooker in 2020, which solidified his position atop the rankings once again.

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Even though Conor has been infrequent in fighting inside the cage, he is easily the most dangerous fighter for a slow-starter like Poirier. That was the worry for Cerrone, and Conor showed why. The pressure at the start of the fight is the key to victory for Conor; resilience is the key for Poirier. Hopefully, we are in for a hell of a fight.

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.
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