B/R Staff Roundtable: Questions That Need to Be Answered After UFC 257

UFC 257 kicked off the leading MMA promotional company's massive 2021 pay-per-view plans with a serious bang.

Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier stopped "Notorious" Conor McGregor in the second round on Saturday night at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. On that same stacked card, another 155-pound ace, "Iron" Mike Chandler, made mincemeat out of Dan "Hangman" Hooker in just one round in the co-main event.

There were plenty of other important fights, too.

But what are the biggest and most important questions that need answering now UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 is over?

Well, that's exactly what your favorite combat sports crew over here at Bleacher Report got together to discuss right after the UFC fights were complete.

Is This the Beginning of the End for Conor McGregor?

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Tom Taylor: Poirier is one of the best lightweights ever, so I feel calling this the beginning of the end for McGregor is a bit over the top. That being said, I do believe the Irishman has reached a crossroads. His long stretches of inactivity and strange regression from a varied and versatile striker to a simple puncher have left him in a position where he will need to evolve—and evolve quickly—if he intends to stay relevant in the UFC's most competitive weight class.

Lyle Fitzsimmons: He lost. He wasn't supposed to lose. But no, I don't think it means the beginning of the end for the biggest star in the sport's history. Not any more than any of his other losses suggested he was done. Let's not forget, he was pretty effective at times in both the first and second rounds on Saturday—and had he landed one more shot at either point, he might have secured a second straight KO over Poirier.

Perhaps he had a point that inactivity was a factor. Perhaps it was simply because Poirier was better and sturdier than he'd been the first time they fought. Regardless, assuming McGregor returns in a few months and gets another fight or two or three in 2021, he'll be back among the best at 155 pounds.

Scott Harris: No chance. This is still the most recognized MMA fighter on the planet. Does he need a win? Yes, he does. Is it possible he's lost a step after all this time of inactivity? Yes, it is. But that's not always what puts the butts in seats. Do you know what does put butts in seats? McGregor. Still plenty of eggs in that golden goose.

Kelsey McCarson: No way. McGregor is only 32, and he's still quite easily the most popular MMA fighter on the planet. That means he'll be able to fight as much as he wants over the next few years, and that includes across the aisle in the boxing world. His loss to Poirier over the weekend reminds me of his loss to Nate Diaz back in 2016. McGregor's incredible confidence put him in that fight for basically no reason, and he paid for it. It did the same thing here with Poirier. Just like he did back in 2016, though, McGregor will likely use his loss at UFC 257 as motivation to return to top form.

Was There Enough from the UFC 257 Main and Co-Main Event to Bring Khabib Back?

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Tom Taylor: No. That's not to say Chandler and Poirier weren't extremely impressive in their victories over Hooker and McGregor, respectively, but Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn't want to fight anymore. He's made that abundantly clear.

It's time to let the man retire in peace, and stop acting as though anybody else has the power to decide his future.

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Call me crazy, but I hope not. Khabib was as big a stud as the UFC has produced in recent years, but there's plenty of talent left over at 155 and a lot of super interesting fights to be made. Khabib had already beaten three of the top four contenders heading into Saturday night, so unless he finds Chandler an interesting enough proposition, he'll stay on the sidelines.

If I'm making matches, I'll put Poirier in with Chandler for the title and Conor against Charles Oliveira as an eliminator for the next shot at the belt. Oliveira deserves a high-profile opportunity as Conor returns, and Poirier and Chandler were impressive enough to be the next in line for the top spot.

Scott Harris: Put yourself in Nurmagomedov's shoes. Would it be enough for you? You have a stud in Chandler who looks to be just as much of a destroyer in the UFC as he was in Bellator but doesn't yet have the kind of following you need to make something truly special, which is certainly what Nurmagomedov wants. He just handled Poirier not too long ago. A win from McGregor would have justified a rematch but, you know, he didn't win. If I'm Khabib, I'm remembering that I hold plenty of cards here. Sometimes you have to know when to hold them.

Kelsey McCarson: I'm not totally convinced there were any real legs to Nurmagomedov coming back in the first place. I know that's what UFC president Dana White wanted to happen, particularly when he thought McGregor was on his way to beating Poirier, but just about everything I've seen or heard from the actual lightweight champ has told me he's done for good. To answer the question, I don't think Nurmagomedov saw anything at UFC 257 that will bring him back to the Octagon.

ESPN+ Streaming Issues: Can Dana White and UFC Make It Up to the Fans?

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Tom Taylor: Considering ESPN+ recently raised the price of UFC pay-per-views, and Dana White just went on the offensive against illegal streamers, it was a pretty bad look when throngs of fight fans were unable to legally purchase UFC 257.

White and his team should definitely do something to make it up to those fans, whether it's offering refunds or reducing the price of future pay-per-views to a less criminal level, but they won't. The bigwigs at the UFC know it's only a matter of time before frustrated fans are distracted by the next big fight on the horizon and begin begrudgingly typing their credit card information into ESPN+ once again.

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Maybe. I guess. Perhaps.

The impressive nature of Chandler's win and the shocking nature of Poirier's revenge over McGregor did Dana a favor and made the issues pretty much a non-story by the night's end. Could the UFC throw everyone a bone by dropping the price of the next one or coming up with something else as a Band-Aid? Sure. Do I think they will? No.

Scott Harris: Can they? Sure. Will they? No, they won't. It's a shame for folks who were frozen out, and it's possible ESPN might take some kind of pity on them, but if it were strictly up to White, those frustrated fans are going to be pounding sand indefinitely. (Although I agree with Tom that the irony is almost too delicious given White's recent statements on streaming.)

Kelsey McCarson: I'm not sure White and the UFC have that much to do with the technology ESPN uses for pay-per-views other than they have a contract with the television company that makes them their exclusive partner.

These kinds of pay-per-view issues are rare, but they do happen. I remember missing the first half of the Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder card back in 2018 because of the same kind of thing. Speaking of boxing, though, compared to what goes on over there, White and the UFC are already pretty far ahead in terms of what they deliver to fans. In short, I'm not sure they owe anybody anything except maybe refunds if people purchased the fights but didn't get to see them.

Did Michael Chandler Silence the Doubters with His Impressive UFC Debut?

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Tom Taylor: How is this even up for debate? Chandler walked into the Octagon and shut the lights out on the UFC's No. 6-ranked lightweight contender—a man who was believed to have a gargantuan striking edge in the fight. Fans who followed Chandler in Bellator knew that he was very good, but it's unlikely that even his biggest supporters expected him to knock Hooker out in the first round.

He silenced his doubters, all right. I expect his bandwagon to be a lot more crowded heading into his next fight.

Lyle Fitzsimmons: I wasn't a doubter, per se, but I was more impressed by Chandler than anyone else on the card.

He was matched tough and on a stage where failure would be magnified. So not only did he not fail, he upped the ante with a terrific Ric Flair-channeling after the fight. He probably lost a few dollars and a chance at a transcendent main-event match when McGregor got beat, but if Dana puts him in with Poirier, he'll presumably have a shot at a championship in just his second UFC fight. Doubters be damned.

Scott Harris: Thanks to the success of early transplants like Eddie Alvarez, Bellator fighters aren't an entirely unknown quantity in a UFC context. Serious fight fans were well aware of Chandler, his championship pedigree going back to his days as an All-American D-1 wrestler, and his wars with other true elites like Alvarez, Benson Henderson and Patricky Freire.

So there wasn't a huge upward battle here to begin with. That said, if you didn't know Chandler before Saturday, you sure as hell know him now.

Kelsey McCarson: Not only did Chandler silence his doubters, but he simultaneously raised the profiles of the other MMA promotional brands that aim to compete with the UFC.

Chandler was a three-time Bellator MMA champion, but some folks still doubted his credentials because he hadn't competed under the UFC's promotional banner. After his stunning win over Hooker, I think people will start looking around at other companies, most notably Bellator and Professional Fighters League, and wonder how those champs would do among UFC competition.

Is Julianna Pena Ready for a Bout Against Amanda Nunes?

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Tom Taylor: Julianna Pena is not ready for Amanda Nunes. Then again, at this point, nobody is.

The only argument for Pena receiving a title shot at this stage is that she's one of the few bantamweight contenders Nunes hasn't already exterminated. Outside of her being a fresh face for the champ, I don't see the appeal of her getting the next shot. She was submitted by Germaine de Randamie in her next most recent fight, and there are still several women ahead of her in the rankings.

If she can beat somebody like Irene Aldana, Aspen Ladd or Holly Holm, I'll reconsider. But for now, her calls for a title shot feel premature.

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Yes and no. Depends on your definition of the word "ready."

Can you logically suggest she deserves a shot based on her performance against Sara McMann? Absolutely. But does the victory, no matter how impressive, give you a reasonable belief that she'll be any more successful against the GOAT than anyone else has been? Not to these eyes.

Scott Harris: My opinion on this is immaterial. Pena certainly seems to believe she is, so as they say, it's her funeral. In all honesty, respect to Pena for calling her shot—something we roast fighters for not doing often enough. We'll see what happens if they fight, but I know I wouldn't bet a dime anywhere except on the Nunes side.

Kelsey McCarson: She said it herself after beating McMann! She's totally ready for Nunes, and she hopes to get that fight on the docket next. Of course, that probably won't happen for her. After all, there are still plenty of other higher ranked contenders ahead of her who deserve to make their case for challenging Nunes.

That some of them have already lost to Nunes, such as Holm and De Randamie, isn't of much consequence in my opinion. In fact, Holm told me recently she hopes to face De Randamie again in her next fight, so she can win that rematch to secure another shot at Nunes.