The anticipated trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will indeed go ahead on July 10, as recently announced by both fighters. However, the UFC on Wednesday added that the card will be attended by a capacity crowd of around 20,000 fans at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The lightweight showdown will headline UFC 264 during International Fight Week, traditionally one of the biggest on the MMA calendar. And with the state of Nevada set to fully re-open as of June 1, the MMA juggernaut organisation were quick to announce that all tickets would go on sale for the event.
“I am so happy to finally be able to say Vegas is back,” White said in the video that broke the news. “This summer, Las Vegas is back open for business and on July 10, UFC 264 will be at the T-Mobile Arena here in Vegas at 100 percent capacity. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s 20,000 fans.”
McGregor won their first encounter back in 2014, when the two were still rising up the featherweight ranks. McGregor then went on to become one of the sport's biggest names and the first ever fighter to hold UFC titles in two divisions at the same time, while Poirier carved out a reputation as one of the company's most exciting fighters and reliable hands.
Many expected it to be the same story when they agreed a rematch for January of this year, but 'The Diamond' surprised everybody with a perfect gameplan. His devastating leg kicks left the Irishman vulnerable to a second-round finish amid claims from many that McGregor had not been active enough over the last few years to offer a serious threat to a top-level opponent such as Poirier.
The two have also recently seen their friendly and respectful interactions ahead of the second fight make way for a slightly more strained scenario, as the two and their teams recently disagreed over a donation McGregor pledged to make to Poirier's charity foundation.