Dustin Poirier did his part with a main event finish of Eddie Alvarez last night (Sat., July 28, 2018) at UFC on FOX 30 from inside Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The 29-year-old lightweight contender put a stop to Alvarez via second-round TKO (highlights here) in a rematch from a previous meeting last year that ended in a no contest. Poirier claimed his third-straight knockout finish and post-fight bonus in the process.
While such success would usually lead to a title shot for a perennial contender like Poirier, the return of pay-per-view (PPV) king Conor McGregor will prolong any chance of gold “Diamond” thinks he has. McGregor, who hasn’t competed in mixed martial arts (MMA) since a technical knockout win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 nearly two years ago, is expected to fight current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov later this year.
“They’re both tough fights,” said Poirier during UFC on FOX 30’s post-fight show when asked about fighting the winner of Khabib vs. McGregor. “Very different fights. If I get a cut of pay-per-view, I want to fight Conor.”
Poirier, who has posted a 8-1-1 record since moving back up to lightweight over three years ago, already lost to McGregor via first-round TKO back at UFC 178 as a featherweight. Even though Poirier would love to have that loss back he’s really only concerned about his first UFC title shot.
“Every loss hurts, and I’m sure it feels great to get them back,” Poirier said. “But like I said before, I’m not chasing grudge matches. I’m chasing gold.”
Having headlined, won, and finished each of his last three Octagon appearances, it’s time for Poirier to take the next step in his career. If that means a world title shot then “Diamond” is willing to sit out until Khabib vs. McGregor runs its course.
“I don’t want to wait a year, but if it makes sense for me to wait four, six months, we’ll see,” he said. “I’ve been fighting a while. This is my 39th fight, man. I feel like I’ve earned a position to contest for a world title.”
Like the company man he’s always been, Poirier is willing to entertain a clash with former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. The deal would have to make sense and the fight would have to guarantee a title shot, but “Diamond” is open to welcoming “El Cucuy” back to the Octagon.
“If (UFC President) Dana (White) calls me, and we make a deal for the fight, maybe,” Poirier said during UFC on FOX 30’s post-fight press conference (replay here). “I don’t know. I’m the best in the world, man. I could beat all these guys.”
We shall see what UFC has planned for Poirier his next time out. If they end up needing him for a late replacement for a potential Khabib vs. Conor fallout or injury later this year, Poirier said he’ll “ be around.”
For complete UFC Calgary results and coverage click here.