(Editor’s note: The main card fight between Ottman Azaitar and Matt Frevola was canceled during the weigh-in on Friday. The new main card fight between Makhmud Muradov and Andrew Sanchez was added too late for our return date.)
The UFC closes its fight with three events over eight days on ‘Fight Island’ with its biggest draw.
UFC 257 takes place on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The main card is broadcast on pay-per-view after pre-matches on ESPN and early pre-matches on ESPN +.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff roster in a separate window.)
In the main event, former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) meets former lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a rematch of a 2014 fight which was won by McGregor. McGregor is a 3-1 favorite at BetMGM, and he has a substantial 10-4 lead over our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.
In the co-feature, former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotional debut against Dan Hooker (20-9 MMA, 10-5 UFC). Hooker is just a small favorite at -130, but it’s Chandler with a 10-4 lead.
Joanne Calderwood (14-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) may have the lowest bets in her favor on the top card at -120 for her women’s weight against former challenger Jessica Eye (15-8 MMA, 5-7 UFC)), but the pick is a 13-1 standout for Calderwood.
And Amanda Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is a favorite of -350 in her women’s fight against Marina Rodriguez (12-1-2 MMA, 2-1-2 UFC). Ribas is our only unanimous choice, and she’s also our readers’ biggest favorite with a whopping 94 percent.
In the MMA Junkie readers choose Consensus, McGregor (62 percent), Hooker (57 percent), Calderwood (58 percent) and Ribas (94 percent).
Look at all the choices above.