Former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier has hit out at undisputed gold holder, Islam Makhachev – after the Russian questioned if the the recent big-winner had earned a shot at his title, despite offering him a go.
Poirier, the current number three ranked lightweight contender, returned to the winner’s enclosure at UFC 299 earlier this month, rallying to take home a stunning second round KO win over French contender, Benoit Saint Denis.
As for Makhachev, the American Kickboxing Academy staple has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 294 back in October, successfully defending his lightweight crown in a rematch win over former featherweight kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski – with a hellacious first round high-kick and strikes knockout win.
Sidelined through the period of Ramadan, Makhachev expressed an interest in a return to active competition as soon as June, and sounded out the idea of a title defense against Poirier – noting his win over Saint Denis in Miami this month, despite questioning if it was even earned on merit.
Dustin Poirier chases June fight with Islam Makhachev
And responding to Makhachev’s claims, Poirier himself stated that when it comes to the sport of mixed martial arts as a whole, he has achieved more than the current pound-for-pound pacesetter.
“If I could pick a fight, the title fight is my choice, that’s what I want,” Dustin Poirier told MMA Junkie. “I mean, that’s on him (Islam Makhachev) – I’ve done more in the sport of mixed martial arts than he has. I’ve been around a long time, I’ve been doing this before it was cool. And, you know, I’m still here – I’m still here doing it at the highest level. I can beat anybody in the world, and I hope he’s next.”
"“I’ve done more in the sport of mixed martial arts than he has."@DustinPoirier reacts to Islam Makhachev saying his potential title shot would be undeserved
(via @mackenziesalmon) pic.twitter.com/iNNt1Vv2zL
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 22, 2024
Who wins in a future title clash: Islam Makhachev or Dustin Poirier?
