Conor McGregor Opens as Betting Favorite Against Dustin Poirier in Discussed Rematch

Conor McGregor a -180 favorite vs Dustin Poirier (+155).

— Dave Mason (@DaveMasonBOL) October 15, 2020

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Although the Ultimate Fighting Championship rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is far from official, betting lines have opened.

On Thursday, BetOnline opened a line on the prospective McGregor (22-4) vs. Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) bout. The two have accepted the bout through a cordial Twitter exchange, but UFC President Dana White stood hard-and-fast about the date of their meeting.

Should they actually lock horns, it would take place on Jan. 23 and not other previously mentioned dates like Nov. 21, Dec. 12 or Dec. 19. There has not been a venue, location or even an official announcement that the Jan. 23 event will be held. It would be expected to be a pay-per-view card should it come to fruition, likely titled UFC 257.

McGregor, who won their first matchup in 2014 by first-round knockout in under two minutes, opened as a -185 favorite. A prospective bettor would need to place $185 on “Notorious” to win $100 if McGregor prevailed. The comeback on Poirier is currently +160, although the lines will be fully expected to change as information develops. Should someone put $100 on Poirier, they would make an additional $160 if Poirier won.

Although the two did agree to square off on Twitter, they did not decide on a weight class. Three of McGregor’s last five MMA bouts have taken place at 170 pounds, while “The Diamond” has never set foot in that weight category. The Irishman started his UFC career at featherweight, taking seven fights in at 145 pounds until moving up to chase the lightweight title. Like his opponent, Poirier started in the UFC as a featherweight and stayed there for 11 UFC bouts upon his relocation from World Extreme Cagefighting to the UFC in 2011. The knockout to McGregor prompted Poirier to shift back up to his previous division.

McGregor last fought in January, where he battered Donald Cerrone and finished the job with a head kick in 40 seconds. The bout was his first since 2018, when he competed for the lightweight strap at UFC 229. Like Poirier, McGregor was submitted in the later rounds by Nurmagomedov. The pairing with Nurmagomedov was McGregor’s first since 2016, as the Irishman decided to test his craft in the boxing ring. McGregor lost to Floyd Mayweather by knockout in the 10th round.

Former interim lightweight titleholder Poirier rebounded from a 2016 loss to Michael Johnson to go on a tear. Along the way, Poirier waded through a proverbial murderer's row of opponents including Jim Miller, Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez and Max Holloway to work his way to the belt. Winning the interim strap by defeating Holloway, Poirier failed to unify it against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in 2019. “The Diamond” bounced back from that defeat by engaging in an all-out five-round battle with Dan Hooker, where he took home a unanimous decision. Poirier has earned post-fight bonus money in six of his last eight fights.