A little over a year ago, Conor McGregor faced veteran mixed martial artist Donald Cerrone in the Octagon. The popular McGregor scored a vicious KO win in just 40 seconds, and millions of McGregor's fans began taking to Twitter to call out the rest of the UFC, planning to fight two more times in 2020 and re-try for the title he lost. Unfortunately, life got in the way. Whether it was because of the pandemic or problems with UFC president Dana White, McGregor has not fought since. Fortunately, all that is about to change with a fight that could open a big door.

On January 23, Conor McGregor will headline UFC 257 against Dustin Poirier. McGregor and Poirier met at UFC 178 in 2014. McGregor had yet to become the global superstar he would later become thanks to a vicious knockout streak and a superfight with Floyd "Money" Mayweather, and Poirier was far from the fighter he would later grow into. It wasn't even a main event.

McGregor ended his last fight with a first round TKO. Poirier is 10-2 since his last fight and has always won Fight of the Night in that time. Plus, there could be a big opportunity waiting for either fighter to win; UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (who has beaten both McGregor and Poirier) recently announced his retirement. The current speculation is that if Nurmagomedov cannot be persuaded to step into the Octagon again, whoever wins at UFC 257 will fight for the soon-to-be vacant title.

Of course, as far as McGregor is concerned, there is always the question of what he really wants. Those close to him say he is in the best shape of his life. Dana White recently said that the real Conor is back, but unlike most mixed martial arts fighters, he has plenty of lucrative opportunities outside the UFC.

His fight with Mayweather reportedly earned him $130 million. He has also been offered movie roles and continues to be a central figure in pop culture. Recently, popular YouTuber Jake Paul has also attempted to entice him to a boxing match. Given the popularity of both men, that pay-per-view could be surprisingly lucrative. However, Dana White strongly insists that it will not happen, but ultimately McGregor is going to do what McGregor wants to do.

Regardless of what happens next, what is important in the immediate future is the fight against Dustin Poirier. Nothing opens doors like a win, and a win here would mean a lot to both of them. Each has something to prove as well. Poirier clearly wants revenge for a loss more than six years ago and will be hoping to challenge for the title. He has had some great wins in his UFC career, producing some all-time class highlights, but his two most recent big fights against Mayweather and Nurmagomedov were both defeats. To prove the haters wrong, he will no doubt want the belt around his waist again.

UFC 257 will take place on Saturday, January 23 in the United Arab Emirates. In addition to the main event above, there will be some great action on the lower card, including Dan Hooker and Michael Chandler and Jessica Eye and Joanne Calderwood. With 12 fights in all, it should be a pretty spectacular night and will have a direct impact on the UFC's upcoming headline-level card. You don't want to miss it. This has the potential to be the biggest and best fight card of the year. Fortunately, pay-per-view is already available for preorder. You can also bundle with Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ for even more savings.