Conor McGregor’s eagerly anticipated trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier this summer will take place in Las Vegas, it was confirmed on Wednesday.
UFC president Dana White announced on social media that UFC 264, to be headlined by McGregor-Poirier 3 on July 10, is set to take place in front of 20,000 spectators at a capacity T-Mobile Arena, which last hosted the lead mixed martial arts organisation in March last year.
McGregor and Poirier will meet for a third time following their marquee clash at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi in January, when the American avenged his 2014 defeat to even the rivalry. The pair had only this week been embroiled in a high-profile spat on Twitter, with McGregor then claiming the fight was off.
However, in a video posted on the platform on Wednesday, White said: “I am so happy to finally say Vegas is back. This summer, Las Vegas is back open for business and on July 10th UFC 264 will be at the T-Mobile Arena here in Vegas at 100 per cent capacity.
"Ladies and gentlemen, that’s 20,000 fans, and this fight will be headlined by the third fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.”
Although both McGregor and Poirier had already agreed in principle to the trilogy at UFC 264, the UFC had yet to confirm.
The jousting on Twitter had seemed to throw the bout into some doubt, with a dispute regarding a $500,000 donation from McGregor to Poirier's charity prompting an expletive-laden exchange from the former two-division world champion.
Still the sport’s biggest draw, and well known more recently for his philanthropic work, McGregor had promised in the build-up to UFC 257 that he would contribute significantly to Poirier’s "Good Fight Foundation".
In one of his less-explosive posts on Monday, McGregor tweeted: "A donation, not a debt. We've been awaiting the plans for the money that never came. 500k with no plan in place. The fight is off... I'm going to fight someone else on the 10th."
A number of lightweights quickly threw their name into the hat to replace Poirier, including Michael Chandler, former champion Rafael dos Anjos and Kevin Lee. However, Wednesday’s announcement ended their chances.
Poirier, a former lightweight interim belt-holder, triumphed at Etihad Arena in January by second-round TKO – the first time McGregor had been knocked out in his professional career. The Dublin-born fighter prevailed in the pair’s first encounter, via a first-round TKO, at UFC 178.
A third meet will no doubt be one of the highest-earning pay-per-view events of the year, perhaps even in UFC history. The consensus is that McGregor faces a make-or-break bout as he seeks to eventually regain the lightweight crown, which was last month vacated officially by Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Although 22-5 in professional mixed martial arts and 10-3 in the UFC, McGregor has lost three of his past six appearances in the octagon, including two of his most recent three.
Speaking immediately following his defeat to Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, McGregor said: “I’ll certainly regroup, pick myself up, get up off the floor and go again. Styles make fights. There’s many great stylistic match-ups out there: Dustin and me are one-and-one, myself and Nate [Diaz] are one-and-one.
“I’ve a lot more weapons, [which] I didn’t get to show. It wasn’t my night. But, again, no excuses. Hat’s off. I’m looking forward to going back now and seeing the kids, and just take my licks.
“I’m not that upset, which is another weird one for me. I put in an immense amount of work, I gave it my all. I’ll regroup for sure. I’m a different man, but the competitive fire is still in me. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.”
McGregor is currently spending time with his family in Dubai. On Tuesday, he tweeted that he was "honoured to be spending Ramadan in the UAE this year" and wished "Ramadan Mubarak to all my Muslim friends and fans".
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
GOODBYE%20JULIA
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
