Conor McGregor returns to the octagon next Sunday with his must-see trilogy clash with Dustin Poirier, the headline bout at a sold-out UFC 264 in Las Vegas. Here’s the details.
What is it?
The latest pay-per-view event from the world’s lead mixed martial arts organisation. UFC 264 is topped by McGregor’s third fight with Poirier and comes less than six months after the American levelled the series at 1-1 via an emphatic TKO at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.
When is it?
Sunday July 11 (July 10 in United States). The early prelims kick off at 2:15am UAE time, the prelims at 4am, and main card at 6am.
Where is it?
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. The events marks the first time the UFC have put on a sold-out show in Las Vegas since before the pandemic.
Who’s fighting?
Undoubtedly, the blockbuster attraction is McGregor-Poirier 3. The pair first met in 2014, at featherweight at UFC 178, when McGregor ended a heated build-up by knocking out Poirier in the first round. However, some seven years later, at lightweight, the American exacted revenge, triumphing in the second round at Etihad Arena – the curtain closer to Fight Island 3 in the capital. The loss represented the first knockout defeat of McGregor’s 27-fight professional mixed martial arts career.
If the pre-fight back in January was congenial, the Irishman vowed in the aftermath that there would be “no more Mr Nice Guy”. That has certainly rang true the past week: the pair have been busy exchanging barbs on social media. Poirier sits currently as the lightweight division’s No 1-ranked challenger (McGregor is No 5), with the winner expected to next take on champion Charles Oliveira for the belt.
Elsewhere on the card, former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns returns for the first time following his championship defeat to Kamaru Usman in February. The Brazilian, the division’s No 2-ranked contender, takes on 4th-ranked Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the prelude to McGregor-Poirier.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s Irene Aldana looks to bounce back from her defeat last October to Holly Holm in Abu Dhabi when she faces fellow bantamweight Yana Kunitskaya, while fan favourite Sean O’Malley will hope to edge closer to bantamweight title contention with a match-up against newcomer Kris Moutinho. The UFC debutant is a late stand-in for the injured Louis Smolka.
Full Card *subject to change
Main
Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor (lightweight)
Gilbert Burns v Stephen Thompson (welterweight)
Tai Tuivasa v Greg Hardy (heavyweight)
Irene Aldana v Yana Kunitskaya (women’s bantamweight)
Sean O’Malley v Kris Moutinho (bantamweight)
Prelims
Carlos Condit v Max Griffin (welterweight)
Niko Price v Michel Pereira (welterweight)
Ryan Hall v Ilia Topuria (featherweight)
Trevin Giles v Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight)
Early Prelims
Jennifer Maia v Jessica Eye (women’s flyweight)
Omari Akhmedov v Brad Tavares (middleweight)
Zhalgas Zhumagulov v Jerome Rivera (flyweight)
Hu Yaozong v Alen Amedovski (middleweight)
How to watch in UAE
Fight fans can watch all the action through the UFC Arabia app.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
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Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
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Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
