Mixed martial arts is one of the most brutal sports in the world and it is also one of the fastest growing. Many up and coming promotions have been growing their audiences of late but UFC remains the absolute number one destination for fighters looking for a big pay day.

Speaking of pay days, MMA betting is a great way to win some money. However, before you place your wagers. make sure you check out the very best sites for UFC betting at Bookmakers.net.

One upcoming fight that punters may be betting on soon is Conor McGregor’s long awaited rematch against Dustin Poirier. Although the bout has not been 100% confirmed, Dana White has offered the pair the chance to main event UFC 257 on January 23. Even if this particular date is pushed back, it is an open secret that the bout will be happening at some point in the future.

Unsure which fighter you should be backing? You aren’t the only one. Hopefully, our quick guide to each competitor will give you some pointers.

Who is Conor McGregor?

 Conor McGregor is one of the most infamous sports stars on the planet. For many years he was the face of the UFC, becoming equally well known for his explosive personality as he was for his performances in the ring.

Hailing from Dublin, Ireland he made his UFC debut all the way back in 2013, progressing up the card rapidly thereafter. He earned an UFC Featherweight Championship title shot against  José Aldo in 2015, but following an injury to Aldó he defeated Chad Mendes for the Interim Featherweight Championship instead.

This first belt was followed by McGregor clinching the Featherweight Championship and then the Lightweight Championship, becoming the first UFC fighter to hold titles from different weight categories at the same time.

After this, his interest in MMA waned with the Irishman competing against Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match in 2017 before retiring from the company altogether in 2020. Now, he’s back in training and ready to better his current record of 22-4-0.

Who is Dustin Poirier?

Born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1989, Dustin Poirier made his UFC debut in 2011 after impressing for World Extreme  Cagefighting. He progressed up the card quickly, defeating the likes of Josh Grispi, Jason Young and Pablo Garza at the start of his career. He then crossed paths with McGregor in 2014, losing by TKO in the first round of their bout at UFC 178.

Poirier has since declared that this was a turning point which improved him as a fighter. Following this defeat he picked up several Performance of the Night bonuses and was finally rewarded with a title shot in 2019, defeating Max Holloway for the Interim Featherweight title. However, he only kept it for a matter of months as Khabib Nurmagomedov picked up the win in his very next contest. His current UFC record is 26-6-0.

On paper McGregor is probably the favourite but as the Irishman has been out for so long, Poirier will be confident of springing a surprise.