Former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier has once again campaigned for a title fight with undisputed divisional gold holder, Islam Makhachev – after receiving an offer to fight the Russian as soon as June, off the back of his knockout win over Benoit Saint-Denis over the weekend at UFC 299.
Poirier, the current number three ranked lightweight contender, co-headlined UFC 299 over the course of the weekend in Miami, turning back the surging Nimes native, Saint-Denis with a huge second round KO – after battling through massive adversity throughout the opening round.
Fighting off numerous submission attempts from the streaking French prospect, Poirier managed to wobble and bring Saint-Denis to one knee with a cleverly-placed uppercut in close, before then cannoning off a huge right hook counter, knocking out the Frenchman in front of a raucous crowd at the Kaseya Center.
And receiving an outright offer from Dominance MMA leader, Ali Abdelaziz to fight his client, Makhachev in an undisputed lightweight title fight as soon as June – Poirier himself then called out the pound-for-pound kingpin for a summer title showdown.
Dustin Poirier previews Islam Makahchev title fight
Receiving backing from promotional CEO, Dana White, who claimed the Lafayette native’s stardom reached a new level off the back of his win over Saint-Denis, which he described as “legendary”, Poirier claimed he may line up an almost patented guillotine choke attempt on the Russian should they meet next.
“I’ll never stop jumping guillotines either,” Dustin Poirier told MMA Fighting. “But, he (Benoit Saint-Denis) never took me down neither. I took myself down like five times.”
“I don’t know, I need to stop [attempting guillotine chokes], but I will never,” Dustin Poirier said defiantly. “Yeah, I hit it a lot [during training], I hit it a lot, I put people unconscious – never in a fight though. Maybe I’ll submit Islam (Makhachev) with it.”
Himself sidelined since October of last year, Makhachev most recently headlined UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, UAE – landing a blistering first round high-kick knockout win over former undisputed featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski in the pair’s rematch.
Can Dustin Poirier end the title run of the dominant Islam Makhachev?