3 reasons July 2021 will be a huge month for UFC fans

As the second half of the year approaches, it is becoming increasingly difficult to remember the last time the UFC put together a less-than-exciting night of fights.

The UFC has treated fight fans with some of the most stacked fight cards in recent memory during the first half of the year. 2021 is about to get a lot better when the second half of the year kicks off and here are three reasons why July will be a huge month for UFC fans.

The final chapter of the Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor trilogy

Like Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor have reiterated so many times in the last few months, it's all or nothing for both fighters on July 10. Conor McGregor's UFC 257 loss to Dustin Poirier came as a surprise to many, especially because the Irishman dispatched his old foe quite handily in their first meeting back in 2014.

A host of questions captured the imagination of fight fans since Poirier's shock victory.

What if Conor was prepared for the calf kicks and takedowns? How will Poirier respond to a possibly hostile crowd? Will a vintage Conor McGregor appearance still be a difficult fight for the Diamond?

All of those questions will be answered when they meet for the trilogy fight at UFC 264 on July 10 in a sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. More importantly, the outcome of Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor 3 will determine the course of both fighters' careers in the UFC's lightweight division.

A dream matchup - Max Holloway vs Yair Rodriguez

The top half of the UFC featherweight division has seen little or no movement in the past couple of years. All of that is about to change with a bang a week after the dust around the Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier trilogy fight finally settles.

Champion Alexander Volkanovski's TUF commitments and scheduled title defence against Brian Ortega later this year seems to have resulted in Max Holloway vs Yair Rodriguez being booked by the UFC.

Both fighters have enviable cardio, insane pace, and solid chins that have never been cracked. A battle of solid basics vs flamboyance, this bout has the chance to be a 'Fight of the Year' candidate. Holloway and Rodriguez will meet in a five-round main event on July 17.

T.J. Dillashaw's return to the UFC

Ever since he had to relinquish the UFC bantamweight title due to the failed drug test in January of 2019, T.J. Dillashaw has claimed that he never used PEDs in his fighting career other than ahead of the fight against Henry Cejudo. The vast majority of UFC fans want to find out if there is any substance to the former champ's claims.

There is only one way to truly know - T.J. Dillashaw has to return to the UFC and perform. After his two-year suspension ended, an eye injury forced T.J. Dillashaw's fight against Cory Sandhagen to get rebooked for July 24.

The fight is an interesting stylistic matchup. Dillashaw and Sandhagen have trained together in the past. If we know anything about the fights between former teammates, they tend to be exciting affairs because of the familiarity with each others' strengths, weaknesses and peculiar tendencies.

Please spend 30 seconds to answer this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your MMA needs.