Opening Odds for Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier – Irishman Favored in Rematch

• Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier have agreed to rematch on Jan. 23, 2020
• McGregor beat Poirier by knockout in 1:46 back in 2014
• McGregor called for the fight to be at the Dallas Cowboys stadium with fans in attendance

Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will be having their rematch over six years in the making.

For the last couple of weeks, McGregor and Poirier have talked about doing a charity MMA sparring match with nothing to do with the UFC as both men were displeased with contract negotiations.

Yet, UFC president Dana White then stepped in and offered the fight for both men on Jan. 23, which the Irishman wasn’t happy about as he wanted it to be in 2020. However, on Wednesday evening, McGregor took to social media to announce he has accepted the fight.

Now, with both men verbally agreeing to the fight, FanDuel opened odds that sees McGregor as the favorite.

Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 2 Odds

Odds taken Oct. 15 at FanDuel

Will The Fight Actually Happen?

The big question surrounding Conor McGregor has been will he actually fight. After he won the lightweight title over Eddie Alvarez he boxed Floyd Mayweather and didn’t compete in the UFC for two years. He then returned against Khabib Nurmagomedov and lost and was MIA once again for another year and a half.

Yet, as he returned in January he made it clear he wanted to fight three times in 2020 and even released text messages with Dana White showing proof it was the UFC not giving him fights which caused him to retire.

Now, however, he is serious about competing, and I’ve talked to some of McGregor’s teammates and they have told me he is 100 percent focused on returning to MMA and making this fight happen. So, despite all the talk, I truly believe this fight will happen on Jan. 23 as McGregor knows a win over Poirier gets him the rematch with Nurmagomedov he has wanted ever since he lost.

Is The Rematch Any Different Than The First Fight?

Both Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are completely different fighters than the first time they met in 2014. First off, the rematch will be at lightweight or even welterweight, so neither will have to cut weight if it is the latter.

The first time they fought, they competed at 145-pounds and both men were way too big for that division. Poirier has also proven he has a much better chin at lightweight than he did at featherweight so perhaps McGregor won’t knock him out early as he did back in 2014.

Poirier’s striking defense is much better, while his ground game could be a major factor this time around. So, although it is a rematch, it pretty much is a completely new fight.

How Will The Odds Change?

This is the hardest question to answer as both Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are fan-favorites and fighters the casuals bettors love to get behind. In most of their fights, during fight week you see a lot of action come in on them, but when they are fighting one another the bettors will have to choose one.

I accept, Jan 23rd is on!
My goal is to see this fight take place in Cowboy stadium. Proper Style! Jerry Jones is a friend and the stadium can hold our crowd. I will be ready for Texas and Texas will be ready for my fans!
Then Manny. #McGregorSportsandEntertainment

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 14, 2020

There is no question McGregor has the bigger fanbase, and during fight week I do believe a lot of public money will come in on the Irishman to lift the line. However, as the line currently sits, I believe sharp money will come in on Poirier as this really is a pick’em fight with a slight lean to the Irishman.

So, if you like Poirier I’d recommend betting now and even place a second bet during fight week when the public action comes in on McGregor. For McGregor bettors, you should wait a couple of weeks, let the sharps bet on Poirier, and try and get that line to the -140, -150 range. However, you can’t wait too long as money will come in on the Irishman during fight week.