The UFC will wrap up its very busy week with its third event in eight days when UFC 257 emanates from UFC Fight Island and airs on ESPN+ tomorrow night. Fans will certainly be paying attention to this one as it marks the return of on of the most popular fighters the sport has ever seen.
Conor McGregor will return to the octagon for the first time in over a year. He’ll face off against one of the top lightweight contenders, with the future of that division very much in question. Plus, two more incredibly talented lightweights will look to break into the title picture and two of the best in the Women’s flyweight division will look to do the same.
Let’s take a closer look at those three bouts:
Women’s Flyweight bout: Jessica Eye vs. Joanne Calderwood
The Women’s flyweight division is very crowded with a lot of very talented fighters who just can’t seem to dethrone Valentina Shevchenko. The sixth-ranked Eye will be looking to move to the front of that crowd and work her way to a rematch with the dominant champion. She may have lost two of her last three fights, but Eye still comes in with an impressive 15-8 record and two wins over two current top-10 contenders. She’s proven that she belongs near the top of this division, now she just needs to break through to the next level.
Calderwood is in the same boat. She has also lost two out of her last three fights to two of the top contenders in the division. While Calderwood has impressed in the past, to the tune of a 14-5 record, she hasn’t been able to get that signature win that could really vault her up in the rankings. A win over Eye, who sits just one spot ahead of her in the ranks, could do just that. Of the two of them, Calderwood has more of a knack for finishing her opponents, but I would expect this one to go the distance.
My pick: Jessica Eye via decision
Lightweight bout: Dan Hooker vs. Michael Chandler
While fans will be looking forward to the main event, this is the bout that will likely see the most fireworks. Hooker is one of the best knockout artists in this division and one of the most all-around talented fighters the sport has to offer. The 30-year-old comes in with a 20-9 record, with 10 knockouts and seven submissions. His ability to use his length has resulted in some highlight reel finishes and, though he is coming off of a loss to top contender Dustin Poirier, he has some impressive wins on his resume. He also has a lot of octagon experience under his belt for his age, having made his UFC debut when he was just 24.
That experience could be a factor in this bout as Chandler will be making his UFC debut. Don’t let that fool you though, Chandler is a former champion in his own right and brings his very own highlight reel with him to the UFC. The former Bellator lightweight champ comes in with a 21-5 record, with nine knockouts and seven submissions. Chandler has some lightning fast hands and a nose for the finish. Both of these guys are incredibly dangerous strikers who can end a fight in the blink of an eye, so it will be very interesting to see the gameplans employed by both fighters. Either way, this seems like a safe pick for fight of the night.
My pick: Hooker via 2nd round submission
Lightweight bout: Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier
The lightweight division is in a state of flux with dominant champion Khabib Nurmagomedov surprisingly announcing his retirement just a few months ago. Last month, we saw third-ranked contender Charles Oliveira put forth a dominating performance in a win over Tony Ferguson. Now, numbers two and four will look stake their claim for that soon-to-be-vacated championship.
What is there to say about McGregor that he hasn’t already said himself? He’s without question the sports biggest superstar and that’s with him having fought only twice since 2016. On top of his unparalleled ability to market himself, McGregor is a world-class fighter, with absolute dynamite in his left hand. He has outclassed some of the best the sport has ever seen, including Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez and most recently Donald Cerrone. He also already defeated Poirier when the two faced off back in 2014.
Poirier would like to point out however, that it is no longer 2014. The now-second-ranked lightweight contender has gone 10-2 since that loss to McGregor, bringing his overall record to an impressive 26-6. One of those two losses came to Nurmagomedov, who also defeated McGregor. While Poirier can finish the fight anywhere, with 12 knockouts and seven submissions on his record, it will be interesting to see if he’s willing to stand and trade strikes with McGregor again. Whatever the result of this bout it, we’re likely to have a much clearer title picture by Sunday morning.
My pick: McGregor via 4th round knockout
UFC 257 will be held Saturday night, January 23 at 10 PM ET. Fight fans can order the pay per view through ESPN+ and receive a special offer: $89.98 for UFC 257 and an ESPN+ annual plan. ESPN+ subscribers can order the pay per view for $69.99.