Former interim UFC lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier has revealed the reasoning for his notable verbal altercation with one-time vacant title chaser, Michael Chandler at UFC 276 earlier this month during International Fight Week – detailing how he wanted to confront the Missouri veteran.
Poirier, a former interim UFC lightweight champion, headlined UFC 269 back in December of last year, unsuccessfully prying the undisputed crown from former champion and common-foe, Charles Oliveira.
As for Chandler, the Kill Cliff FC trainee featured on the main card of UFC 274 back in May, rebounding from a first round defeat on three judge’s scorecards, to stop the veteran, Tony Ferguson with a brutal second round front kick knockout.
In the time since, as Oliveira prepares to likely land a vacant title fight against Islam Makhachev next, Poirier and Chandler have been linked to a title-eliminator before the close of the year.
As both remain receptive to a potential fight in the future, Poirier engaged in a verbal back-and-forth with the former Bellator star at UFC 276 earlier this month, forcing officials and security to intervene.
Dustin Poirier has retained a rather frosty relationship with Michael Chandler
Commenting on his fracas with Chandler, Dustin Poirier maintained that he wanted to say something to the former, and intended on confronting him.
“If I have something to say, I’m going to say it when the person’s present,” Dustin Poirier said of his altercation with Michael Chandler during an appearance on DC & RC. “That’s what you saw right there. I had something to say to him. And I got it off my chest. Told him (Michael Chandler) what I felt about him. And that’s it.”
While Chandler has yet to openly discuss his altercation with Poirier, the #5 ranked contender has offered to face the aforenoted, Makhachev in a vacant lightweight title next – if Oliveira prefers to chase a much-rumored fight against former two-weight UFC champion, Conor McGregor.