US fighter defeated his Irish opponent at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena in January ABU DHABI: UFC fans in the Middle East are looking forward to one of mixed martial arts’ most highly anticipated trilogy bouts when Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and Conor “The Notorious” McGregor clash in Las Vegas on Saturday. Former interim lightweight champion and No. 1 ranked contender Poirier and former two-division champion and No. 5 ranked McGregor will return to the Octagon for the headline fight of UFC 264. In January, the pair went head-to-head at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi where American Poirier put on a performance of a lifetime in defeating Irishman McGregor in the second round. The pair’s first clash had taken place at UFC 178 in 2014, with McGregor cementing his status as a UFC star by knocking out Poirier in the first round. Now, the climax to the rivalry will play out in the main event of UFC 264: Poirier versus McGregor 3 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Both fighters have strong fanbases in the UAE. Poirier has fought at UFC Fight Island twice and has hosted public workout sessions in Abu Dhabi, while McGregor spent several months in Dubai following UFC 257 and began his training for the trilogy bout at the UFC Gym in Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai before heading to his intensive training camp in California. In the UAE and throughout the Middle East, UFC fans can catch the action live through Abu Dhabi Media’s UFC Arabia app, AD Fight, and StarzPlay, while AD Sports 2 will also air the prelims.