With the dawn of a new year, the first PPV of 2021 is slowly inching closer. UFC lightweights Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will meet inside the Octagon at the headliner of UFC 257. The rematch will be competitive, as the two are among the best fighters at 155-pounds. This is also the reason why even UFC fighters themselves are divided when asked to choose a winner between the two.

James Lynch uploaded a video on YouTube where several UFC fighters picked who they believe will come out on top at UFC 257. There was almost an even split of votes among the fighters who made their picks. This is probably because of the trajectory of the careers of the two lightweights.

UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes picked Poirier right off the bat. However, this isn’t because he thinks the former interim lightweight champ is the better fighter of the two. The rationale behind his choice is that he isn’t sure about the efforts McGregor will put into this fight.

The Irishman has already seen the highest of highs as far as financial success is concerned. With money out of the equation, Blaydes has a hard time figuring out what pushes McGregor to train.

Submission specialist UFC strawweight, Mackenzie Dern, picked Poirier. The Brazilian banked upon Poirier’s motivation to settle his score with the former double champ. This combined with McGregor’s irregular Octagon appearances in recent times made her believe that Poirier will pull off an upset.

Jordan Wright argues why Conor McGregor will defeat Dustin Poirier

Despite his on-and-off Octagon appearances in recent years, fans and fighters haven’t forgotten how good of a fighter Conor McGregor is. His wide and unorthodox stance mixed with precise punches made him one of the most lethal strikers in the UFC. Apart from all this, ‘Mystic Mac’ is also well versed in the art of managing distance.

“I think Conor has always been good at the distance aspect. He is a fighter that continues to get better himself. When you do have that really special eye for distance, it’s a game-changer when it comes to a match with two people that really like to strike.”

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“And Conor’s just, he’s just a master of it. He’s always in that position where you can tell he can hit you, but you can’t hit him,” UFC middleweight Jordan Wright explained as he picked McGregor over Poirier.

As we enter the last weeks of training for both the fighters, the battle is as much mental as it is physical. In their first fight, McGregor had the better of his opponent in this aspect. However, a much experienced Poirier will probably try to outsmart him. UFC featherweight Justin Jaynes believes that ‘The Diamond’ will benefit a lot if he plays it smart this time around.

As backed by his record, McGregor is the most dangerous in the opening rounds of the fight. UFC welterweight Louis Cosce thinks the fight will be interesting if Poirier is able to weather the early storm and take it to the deep waters. Regardless, he would still pick McGregor to come out on top.

Irrespective of how the fight plays out, the winner of the contest should earn the right to fight for the belt next. For McGregor, this could also mean settling his score with Khabib Nurmagomedov.