Dustin Poirier will face Conor McGregor at UFC 264 in Las Vegas on Saturday in one of the year's most highly anticipated fights.

The trilogy bout take place at the T-Mobile Arena with a 100 per cent crowd capacity.

"I am so happy to finally be able to say: Vegas is back," UFC president Dana White said when the fight was announced in April.

McGregor had previously claimed the bout was off during an expletive-laden exchange on Twitter and that heated build-up has continued.

Poirier took victory in their previous showdown at UFC 257 in January in Abu Dhabi with a second-round knockout, after which McGregor conceded the result was "a tough one to swallow".

McGregor, who described his opponent's performance three months ago as "phenomenal", stopped the 32-year-old American in 106 seconds in their first encounter in September 2014.

The former two-weight world champion, who is also 32, has not won a UFC bout since January last year.

Fight build-up has been as entertaining you would expect, with McGregor aiming a kick at Poirier as the duo went head to head at the pre-fight news conference on Thursday.

Here are some of the best quotes from the event which took place with both fighters and a large crowd.
 

FIGHTING TALK FROM MCGREGOR

McGregor did not hold back when he explained what he planned to do with Poirier.

"I'm gonna go through his head, put holes in and take it off his shoulders - that's the goal here!

"He's done here, this is it for him. This is the end of the road. 

"Even after that last fight saying, 'Oh I don't love this [fighting] anymore' - he knew what was coming, he knew the smacks he took.

"Saturday night he's getting walked around that octagon like a dog and put to sleep."

POIRIER RESPECTS PUNICHING POWER

And Poirier did not dismiss the threat posed by the Irishman.

"I think he has a big advantage in some areas like his punching power.

"That's been worked on for years, and I'm sure some of it's God gifted, his timing is very good, but I truly believe he is a well-rounded martial artist.

"But he's so successful in those areas that he doesn't have to go in there and shoot for a takedown because he believes he's going to finish the fight on the feet.

"He doesn't have to play jiu-jitsu because he's so confident in what's been working for him, he's knocked out a bunch of greats. Don't fix it if it's not broken, I truly believe he is a well-rounded fighter."

MCGREGOR PROMISES CAREER NIGHT

A crowning moment for McGregor came when he defeated Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 to become the first UFC fighter to be world champion in two weight divisions simultaneously.

He insists there is better still to come from him.

"I'm an evolution of that guy. I'm better than that man. I feel like I've come full circle and I look forward to showing it.

"That night was widely regarded as the single greatest performance in UFC history. This performance on Saturday night, I'm going to top it."

POIRIER DOUBTS THAT IS POSSIBLE

But Poirier does not think McGregor is the same force he once was.

"For me, the aura's not there anymore. Not anymore. 

"A very dangerous fighter sitting right there for sure but I see a man. 

"You guys in the crowd, cheer it up, have fun. But I see a man that I've defeated and know that I can defeat again."

MCGREGOR COMPARES POIRIER TO BUSTER DOUGLAS

James 'Buster' Douglas achieved one of sport's greatest upsets by beating Mike Tyson in 1990 but immediately lost his next fight and his titles to Evander Holyfield.

McGregor says the same fate awaits Poirier.

"He's going to be known for that [like Buster Douglas].

"It was a fluke win and I'm going to correct it on Saturday night. It's on now."

POIRIER SAYS HE IS DIFFERENT

McGregor was asked by a fan why he was being so confrontational with Poirier in the build up to this fight after showing significant respect to his opponent around their second bout.

Poirier interjected with a put down, saying "Because he got knocked the f*** out!" before going on to criticise the falling quality of McGregor's trash talk.

"He was not McGregor fast but McGregor sleep. Respect to him and everything that he's done [but his trash talk is] f*****g weak. 

"I don't hate anybody up here. I'm in a different place mentally. 

"I am straight business. I've never really had that hype pushed. I know who I am. I'm the same guy and it's easy to be me.

"I knew this [rematch] was next. As soon as I got to my hotel room that night [in January], I knew this was next. I've kind of been preparing for this fight since that fight ended."

TALE OF THE TAPE

Poirier has 27 wins, six losses and one no contest on his record, while McGregor has 22 wins and five defeats.

Both men are southpaws, 5' 9" and 155 lbs, though McGregor has the reach advantage (74” to 72”).

In their last fight, Poirier attempted more significant strikes than McGregor (91 to 66).

He also landed more, 52 per cent compared to 43 for the Irishman.

McGregor landed 25 times, 23 to the head and just twice to the legs, while Poirer made an impact in both areas, with 30 significant strikes to the head and 18 to the legs.

Israel Adesanya successfully defended his middleweight title once again, beating Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision in their rematch at UFC 263 in Arizona. 

UFC star Adesanya – who defeated Vettori by split decision in April 2018 – navigated five rounds with minimal difficulty, prevailing 50-45 on all three judges' scorecards in his third title defence since taking the belt with a knockout of Robert Whittaker in October 2019. 

Adesanya's only potential trouble spot came early in the third round on Saturday when Vettori knocked down the Nigeria-born New Zealander, but he weathered that challenge and handled everything else the Italian threw at him. 

A rematch with Whittaker seems on the cards as Adesanya (21-0) called out the Australian following his win, demanding a showdown in Auckland, New Zealand.

"You don't get to decide -- I get to decide," Adesanya said. "Because I'm the mother****** king, b****!"

Whittaker responded with a tweet that read "rest up, see you soon." 

Moreno first Mexican-born champ

In the co-headline bout, Brandon Moreno dominated Deiveson Figueiredo to take the Brazilian's flyweight strap and become the first Mexican-born UFC champion. 

Saturday's fight was in sharp contrast to the pair's draw at UFC 256 in December, as Moreno (19-5-2) had his way with the titleholder from the beginning. 

The 27-year-old from Tijuana submitted Figueiredo with a rear naked choke at 2:26 of the third round and exulted in his victory.

"UFC released me," Moreno said. "I wasn't that proud of my life but watch me holding this belt. I feel so amazing."

Figueiredo (20-2-1) was gracious in defeat, saying Moreno was "the better man tonight."

Edwards holds off late Diaz flurry

Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz made UFC history with the first non-main event, non-title bout to be scheduled for five rounds, and Diaz nearly made the extended term pay off. 

Edwards had his way for most of the fight but had to survive a furious flurry from the bloodied 36-year-old American in the fifth to win by unanimous decision, 49-46 on all cards. 

The pair had been scheduled to face off at UFC 262 last month, but the bout was pushed back when Diaz got cut in training. 

New UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira told Conor McGregor "I'm going to put you on your a**", but warned the former two-weight king he needs to focus on a rematch with Dustin Poirier first.

Oliveira made a narrow escape in the first round against Michael Chandler at UFC 262 on Saturday before dropping his opponent with the first punch of the second to claim the title vacated by Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Afterwards, McGregor congratulated Oliveira on Twitter, while hinting at a potential fight with the Brazilian.

He wrote: "Congrats to Oliveira on becoming the 11th UFC lightweight champion. Wonder who Twelve is..."

And Oliveira is clearly keen to face the Irishman on home soil but only if McGregor avenges his defeat to Poirier in January.

"Conor, worry about Dustin," Oliveira told reporters.

"Conor, since you're so tough: First of all, you beat Dustin, and then you come over to Brazil and I'm going to put you on your a**.

"First, he's got to get past Dustin. He's one of these guys that just talks a lot. He's got to beat Dustin first."

Charles Oliveira made a narrow escape from the first round against Michael Chandler at UFC 262 before ending things in a hurry in the second. 

Oliveira (31-8) dropped Chandler with his first punch after the break and won by TKO 19 seconds into the second round to claim the UFC lightweight title in Houston. 

In his 28th UFC fight, the Brazilian earned his first strap, a belt left vacant when the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov decided to retire. 

Chandler (22-6) had won the first round 10-8 on two judges' scorecards and 10-9 on the other, but he could not put Oliveira away. 

Once the 31-year-old had a chance to compose himself, he showed his class with a single shot. 

It was Oliveira's 17th career finish, moving him past Donald Cerrone for the most in UFC history. 

In the co-headlining bout, Beneil Dariush dominated Tony Ferguson to win unanimous decision.

The defeat was the third in a row for Ferguson (25-5), the former UFC lightweight interim champion, who previously lost by unanimous decision to Oliveira at UFC 256 in December. 

The Iran-born Dariush (21-4-1) said his seventh consecutive win should put him in the conversation in the lightweight ranks, but he plans to take the next several months off as his daughter is due to be born in June. 

Also on the card, Rogerio Bontorin defeated Matt Schnell and Katlyn Chookagian beat Viviane Araujo, both by unanimous decision, while Edson Barboza knocked out Shane Burgos at 1:16 in the third round. 

For the second time in as many UFC events, an undercard fight ended with an apparent broken limb. 

Brazilian veteran Jacare seemed to break his arm in losing by technical submission to Andre Muniz at 3:59 in Round 1. It was the first loss by submission for the 41-year-old Jacare (26-10).

At UFC 261 a fortnight earlier, Chris Weidman broke his leg landing a kick on Uriah Hall. 

Anderson Silva has posted a message of support for Chris Weidman after the American suffered a gruesome leg injury at UFC 261. 

Just 17 seconds into his fight with Uriah Hall in Jacksonville, Florida, Weidman's lower right leg appeared to snap as he landed a kick to Hall's shin. 

Weidman, 36, was removed from the Octagon on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital. 

The injury came more than seven years after Silva suffered a nearly identical fate while fighting Weidman. 

In December 2013, Silva broke his left leg landing a kick on Weidman's leg early in the second round of their UFC 168 match-up in Las Vegas. 

Not long after Weidman's injury Saturday, Silva tagged the American in a message posted to Instagram: "My deepest and most sincere sentiments champ. Have faith, I wish you a speedy recovery. In this moment I wish you and your family light, love and knowledge.

"To the fans of the sport, please respect this moment of this incredible warrior and let's wish that he is 100% very recovered soon. May God bless you and your family." 

Though many expected Silva's injury to end his career, the Brazilian returned to the Octagon a little over a year later, beating Nick Diaz at UFC 183 in January 2015. That victory was overturned due to doping violations, but Silva would fight six more times -- most recently a TKO loss to Hall last October. 

That was Hall's last fight before Saturday, and he took no joy in the way the Weidman bout ended. 

"I just want to make sure he's OK," Hall told ESPN. 

"There's just no way to celebrate after this. It's unfortunate. I'm sure he put in a lot of time and dedication away from his family, and for this to happen ... I just wish him well."

Kamaru Usman knocked out Jorge Masvidal before a packed arena Saturday, retaining his welterweight title at UFC 261. 

Usman (19-1-0) dropped Masvidal (35-15-0) with a right hand to the jaw one minute, two seconds into the second round.

The devastating blow landed seconds after the American had faced Usman with his hands lowered, smiling at the Nigerian. 

Usman has won 14 consecutive fights, trailing only Anderson Silva's 16-fight run from 2006 to 2012 in UFC history. 

"I know with my fundamentals I am the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now," Usman said. 

Usman's strike prompted an eruption from the crowd of 15,269 in Jacksonville, Florida, capping an evening billed as the first full-capacity indoor event since the coronavirus pandemic took off in March 2020. 

The marquee fight was a rematch from UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi last July, which Usman won by unanimous decision. 

Saturday marked only the second time in his long career that Masvidal has been knocked out, with the previous one occuring in 2008. 

In the co-main event, Rose Namajunas (11-4-0) knocked out Zhang Weili (21-2-0) with a kick to the head at 1:18 in the first round to reclaim the strawweight title -- the first woman to do so in any weight class in UFC history. 

The American originally won the belt in November 2017 but lost it to Jessica Andrade in May 2019. She defeated Andrade in the rematch at UFC 251. 

Andrade (21-9-0) also was on Saturday's card, falling via TKO to Valentina Shevchenko (21-3-0) in the second round. 

Earlier, veteran fighter Chris Weidman's lower right leg appeared to snap on a kick 17 seconds into his bout with Uriah Hall (17-9), ending the match in a TKO. Weidman, 36, was carried out on a stretcher. 

Dustin Poirier will face Conor McGregor at UFC 264 in Las Vegas this year.

The much-anticipated trilogy fight will take place at the T-Mobile Arena on July 10, UFC president Dana White confirmed on Wednesday.

"I am so happy to finally be able to say: Vegas is back," he said in a video posted on social media.

"This summer, Las Vegas is back open for business and on July 10, UFC 264 will be at the T-Mobile Arena at 100 per cent capacity.

"This card will be headlined by the third fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor."

The update comes after McGregor claimed the bout was off on Monday during an expletive-laden exchange on Twitter.

Poirier claimed victory in their previous showdown at UFC 257 in January in Abu Dhabi with a second-round knockout, after which McGregor conceded the result was "a tough one to swallow".

McGregor, who described his opponent's performance three months ago as "phenomenal", stopped the 32-year-old American in 106 seconds in their first encounter in September 2014.

The former two-weight world champion, who is also 32, has not won a UFC bout since January last year.

Francis Ngannou plans to have two more fights in 2021 and has reaffirmed his desire to take on Jon Jones, whose future with UFC remains unclear.

Ngannou claimed the heavyweight title in style on Saturday, dethroning Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 thanks to a second-round knockout in a rematch of their meeting back in January 2018.

The 34-year-old made clear in the immediate aftermath that he is ready and willing to face Jones, a fighter he described as the GOAT of MMA.

A two-time former light-heavyweight champion, Jones has not fought in just over a year amid contract negotiations. Whether he returns or not, Ngannou understands he is now in a position to call the shots.

"I don't know what exactly happened between Jon Jones and the UFC, but I think there's something wrong, and I also think he handled it maybe a little in the wrong way," Ngannou said during an appearance on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show.

"Listen, that's not my business. There's a lot of contenders ready to fight. For the first time, I'm the man who's making the call.

"I don't have to sit down and wait for people. They're waiting for me, and I'm ready.

"I can choose to fight, and I want to fight maybe two [more] times this year. I hope that [Jones] fight happens."

Jones provided an update on his own situation via Twitter on Wednesday, revealing negotiations are continuing with the organisation.

"I had a brief phone meeting with UFC's lawyer Hunter [Campbell] a few days ago. As of right now I expressed to him that anywhere around eight to $10million would be way too low for a fight of this magnitude. That’s all that has been discussed so far," he tweeted.

"I'm supposed to be waiting for what their offer is going to be. Really hoping the numbers are nowhere near that low. I guess we will see what happens."

If Jones is not available, Ngannou could instead be set for a rematch with Derrick Lewis, who won a forgettable first fight by unanimous decision back in July 2018.

However, the new champion promises there will be no repeat, should the rivals go up against each other once again.

"I think we'll have this fight that never really happened. I will have to give the fans what they deserve," Ngannou said.

Francis Ngannou set his sights on Jon Jones after sealing a devastating knockout win in his rematch with Stipe Miocic to claim the heavyweight title at UFC 260.

Ngannou became the undisputed champion as he gained revenge after being outclassed by Miocic three years ago at UFC 220, the Cameroonian landing a brutal and decisive blow with a left hook in the second round.

And now the 34-year-old wants a shot at Jones, with the legendary American poised to step up to the heavyweight division later this year.

Ngannou lauded Jones as the GOAT of MMA, but declared he was ready for the challenge.

"In my opinion, Jon Jones is the greatest of all time in mixed martial arts. Him moving up is going to be a good thing," he said after his stunning victory in Las Vegas.

"He's a challenge I will take, and it will be a very good thing on the resume. But this time he is the challenger. I am the champ. He's coming up, looking for me.

"So I'm ready any time soon. Even summer, I will be here, ready to fight in July or August. Whenever they are ready, I'm ready.

"He said something, 'Show me the money'. Show the money and we'll go, baby. I'm here."

Miocic – who was coming off a unanimous decision win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 last August – was left stunned by an overpowering display from Ngannou, who got the job done 52 seconds into round two.

Francis Ngannou annihilated Stipe Miocic with a brutal second-round knockout in their blockbuster rematch to become the UFC heavyweight champion.

Ngannou was outclassed by Miocic three years ago, the Cameron fighter unable to take the title away from his opponent at UFC 220 in 2018.

But Ngannou (16-3) exacted revenge on Saturday thanks to his brutal KO of the titleholder at UFC 260 in Las Vegas, where a new champion was crowned.

Ngannou earned another title shot following knockout wins against Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

The 34-year-old dethroned Miocic (20-4) inside the UFC Apex, where he had the American fighter in trouble early in the second round after dropping the champion with a two-punch combination.

Miocic – who was coming off a unanimous decision win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 242 last August – was left stunned after being swarmed with punches on the chin and Ngannou followed with a hammer fist on the ground as the referee waved off the fight.

Afterwards, Ngannou talked up a showdown with former champion Jon Jones.

"It's a challenge that I'll take and a very good fight on my resume," Ngannou said post-fight.

"He's the challenger, I am the champion so he's looking for me. I'm ready to fight in July and August. Let's do it." 

In the co-main event, Vicente Luque stunned former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who was forced into submission in the opening round.

It condemned Woodley to a fourth consecutive defeat as Luque earned the biggest win of his career.

"I want to take this time also to call out Nate Diaz," Luque said. "I called him out in the past and he didn't respond. My style, it matches perfect. I'm going to go forward. I think Nate is a perfect fight."

Khabib Nurmagomedov has thanked Dana White and the UFC for their support and understanding as his retirement was confirmed.

Khabib, who boasts a 29-0 record in the UFC, announced after his most recent victory against Justin Gaethje last October he was quitting the sport.

The fighter's father and coach, Abdulmanap, passed away earlier in 2020 and Khabib said: "There's no way I'm going to come here without my father."

UFC president White retained hope of changing his star performer's mind, but he accepted defeat on Thursday.

White posted on Twitter following a meal with Khabib that he was "officially retired".

The UFC chief also thanked for the Russian for his efforts, and those feelings of gratitude were reciprocated by Khabib in his own social media post.

"It was a good dinner with some great people," he wrote on Instagram. "@danawhite thank you so much brother and the entire @ufc team for the opportunity to prove myself, you guys have changed many live forever because of this sport.

"Dana - I'll never forget your attitude towards me, my father did not forget and my sons will remember you. Today there was a real conversation between real men.

"Also thank you to all team, sparing partners (sic) and all fans. I hope you will accept my decision and understand me."

UFC president Dana White said Khabib Nurmagomedov is "officially retired" as he thanked the unbeaten star.

Khabib stunningly announced his retirement after beating Justin Gaethje to defend the lightweight title at UFC 254 in October last year as he improved to 29-0.

White had retained hope of Khabib returning to the UFC, previously talking up the Russian trying to reach a flawless 30-0 record.

But White used Twitter on Thursday to end hopes of a blockbuster comeback for Khabib.

White wrote, with an accompanying picture alongside Khabib: "29-0 it is.

"He is officially retired. It was incredible to watch you work @TeamKhabib.

"Thank you for EVERYTHING and enjoy whatever is next my friend."

Khabib had fuelled speculation he could make a return to the octagon earlier this week.

The undefeated champion posted a photo to Instagram, alongside former UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta, with the words: "It was good to see you Lorenzo.

"@danawhite send me location."

Kamara Usman will defend his welterweight title against Jorge Masvidal in front of a full crowd at UFC 261 on April 24.

Not since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 has a UFC card gone ahead without a cap on crowd numbers, but that will change in Jacksonville, Florida next month.

Usman's rematch with Masvidal headlines a stacked line-up at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, where 15,000 fans are set to attend for two other title fights, including women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko's bout with Jessica Andrade and the women's strawweight battle between champion Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas.

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena previously hosted the first three UFC shows following a two-month hiatus in May due to COVID-19, though they went ahead without fans behind closed doors.

"I have been waiting a year for this day to tell you: We are back," UFC president Dana White said in the video via Twitter on Monday.

Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry tweeted: "@danawhite, @GovRonDeSantis, and I will continue to demonstrate that Florida is poised to safely host signature sporting events watched globally. Welcome back to Jacksonville @ufc. Let's go @danawhite."

Usman (18-1), who defeated Gilbert Burns via a third-round TKO last month, has made history in the UFC.

The Nigerian-born fighter has won 13 consecutive fights – the most in UFC welterweight history.

Usman defeated Masvidal (35-14) by unanimous decision at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi last July, though the latter was a late replacement after Burns had tested positive for coronavirus.

UFC president Dana White believes "there's still a chance" Khabib Nurmagomedov will come out of retirement to fight in the octagon.

Khabib stunningly announced his retirement after beating Justin Gaethje to defend the lightweight title at UFC 254 in October last year as he improved to 29-0, though the 32-year-old remains the champion.

White has retained hope of Khabib returning to the UFC, previously talking up the Russian trying to reach a flawless 30-0 record.

Conor McGregor continues to eye a Khabib showdown, while Dustin Poirier – who stunned the former via TKO at UFC 257 – has declared himself the champion.

Speaking ahead of UFC 259, White told reporters he is set to meet with Khabib.

"We're going to have dinner on Saturday or Sunday and just talk and see," White said.

"I think a lot of these fights have to play out in that division. From [number nine] all the way up to number one, they're incredible fights. You can mix or match them any way you want and they're really good fights."

White added: "Let some of these play out to see who will fight next for the title. I think if Khabib is interested, he'll take the fight.

"You don't see Khabib saying, 'Leave me alone. Stop asking me'. So there's still a chance. That's the way I look at it."

Dustin Poirier wants a shot at the lightweight title in his next bout and is unsure if the UFC would agree to that as part of a trilogy fight with Conor McGregor.

Khabib Nurmagomedov still holds the lightweight belt with the UFC trying to lure him out of retirement, though Poirier has taken to declaring himself the champion in the meantime.

The 32-year-old won the interim title in April 2019 but was submitted by Khabib in a unification fight at UFC 242.

Poirier put himself in pole position for a shot at the undisputed crown by beating McGregor, who won their first fight in September 2014, by TKO at UFC 257 in January.

Both are open to a third fight, but Poirier has his eyes on the title and does not think another meeting with McGregor would provide that at the moment.

Asked if he would fight McGregor for the lightweight title, Poirier told ESPN: "I'm not sure if the UFC would do that.

"Why wasn't that one for the belt? Politics? We're chasing Khabib? What's going on here?

"I have no clue what direction [the UFC is going to] move in. Obviously [Justin] Gaethje's coming off a loss too, then there's [Michael] Chandler and [Charles] Oliveira. I need to go and look at the rankings to see the order we're in now.

"It's 1-1 [with McGregor]. I knocked him out; he knocked me out. The rubber match, it does make sense."

He added: "Who else has put the resume together that I have in my last six, seven fights, whatever it has been?

"Also beating Conor, a two-weight world champion, adds another former world champion to the list of guys I've taken out. I think I'm most deserving to be in a title fight out of all these guys, but I don't know who it's going to be against."