Dustin Poirier may not know what’s next for him inside the Octagon, but he expects that to change real soon.
‘The Diamond’ is fresh off a spectacular come-from-behind victory over Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 last month. The impressive win immediately caught the attention of reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who is eager to find himself an opponent for a summertime return.
With Makahchev’s most viable title challengers — Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan — all booked for UFC 300 on Saturday night (April 13), Poirier looks to be in the right place at the right time.
Appearing on the This Past Weekend podcast with Theo Von, Poirier revealed that he has not yet heard from the UFC regarding his potential title fight with the ‘Dagestani Destroyer,’ but believes he’ll know something in the near future.
Dustin Poirier says that he’s not been offered the fight against Islam Makhachev yet by the UFC.
He says he doesn’t know what’s next, but says he knows that “we’re gonna hear it soon”
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 9, 2024
Dustin Poirier says that he’s not been offered the fight against Islam Makhachev yet by the UFC.
“I don’t know what’s next, but I think we’re gonna hear it soon,” Poirier said with confidence.
Dustin Poirier has fought for and failed to walk away with the 155-pound crown on two separate occasions, the first coming against UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov in September 2019. Poirier lost via a third-round rear-naked choke. Two years later, he fought his way back to a second title opportunity, this time against then-champion Charles Oliveira. ‘The Diamond’ suffered the same fate, tapping out to an RNC in round three.
Poirier is 2-2 in his last four fights and is still clinging onto his spot as the No. 3 ranked lightweight in the world.
Will Dustin Poirier be the first lightweight fighter to challenge Makhachev?
As for Islam Makhachev, the lightweight king has defended his title twice since capturing his crown at UFC 280 — both against former featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski. His first fight with ‘The Great’ was hailed by many as the 2023 Fight of the Year and immediately generated calls for a rematch.
Eight months later, fans got their wish. Unfortunately, the circumstances weren’t optimal, particularly for Volkanovski who stepped into the fight on 10 days’ notice. He ultimately lost the bout via a first-round head-kick KO.
If Makhachev does indeed fight Dustin Poirier later this year, it will be the Dagestani’s first time defending the strap against an actual lightweight contender.