The first major UFC event of the calendar year sees Conor McGregor face Dustin Poirier in a lightweight rematch of their 2014 featherweight encounter.
Circumstances for both fighters will be much different on Saturday, Jan. 23, then they were six-and-a-half years ago. Hence, their recent fights are likely to serve as a better measuring stick than that fateful night at UFC 178 when McGregor stopped Poirier in the first round.
Here are the American's last five combat sport contests, the results, and how he performed.
Justin Gaethje - UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje
On April 14, 2018, in Glendale, Arizona, lightweight contenders Poirier and Gaethje squared off in the main event on Fox. Very early in round four, Poirier seized his moment and finished his opponent via TKO in the Fight of the Night.
Eddie Alvarez - UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2
Poirier and Alvarez headlined UFC on Fox 30 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on July 28, 2018. Their UFC 211 'Fight of the Year' candidate ended in controversy as Alvarez's illegal knees rendered the anticipated bout a no-contest. This time around, Poirier stopped Alvarez with punches after 4:05 of the second round.
Max Holloway rematch - UFC 236
Having already defeated Holloway back in 2012, Poirier repeated the feat in the main event of UFC 236 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. All three scorecards were 49-46 in favor of "The Diamond," who became the interim UFC lightweight champion with the win on April 13, 2019.
Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 242
As the interim lightweight champion, Poirier earned the right to challenge full titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 on September 7, 2019, in Abu Dhabi. The American could not do what nobody else had done in defeating Khabib, as "The Eagle" used a rear-naked choke to earn the submission and unify the belts in round three.
Dan Hooker - UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker
On June 27, 2020, Poirier earned a five-round unanimous decision win over Hooker as the UFC responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with the creation of the 'UFC Apex' bubble in Las Vegas. Poirier took all three scorecards by 48–47, 48–47, and 48–46 in a five-round main event to earn his seventh career 'Fight of the Night' honors.