Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight star Dustin Poirier looks to be next in line for a title shot against champion Charles Oliveira. However, “The Diamond” doesn’t view the current division king as the hardest style matchup for him in the weight class.
Poirier (28-6) has proven his worth as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the roster. Over the last four years, he has faced elite lightweights on a regular basis, and successfully navigated one of the toughest divisions in the sport. In that time, he has come up short against one man: Undefeated, and now retired, former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Dustin Poirier calls Makhachev toughest fight at 155
If there is one fighter that has the pulse of the division, it would be the man that has scored wins over former champions like Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, Conor McGregor, and Anthony Pettis. In a new interview for “>ESPN, Poirier was asked who he views as the hardest style matchup for him inside the lightweight top-10. And surprisingly, the former interim champion did not select Oliveira. Instead, he chose a fighter with strong ties and a similar fight style to the man that handed him his last defeat.
“Styles make fights, and sometimes it’s kind of hard to sit back and draw lines to names, and think what would happen to get in there and really get moving around,” Poirier said. “But, for a few years now, I think 155 has been one of, if not the toughest, division in the UFC. It’s been top-heavy for a lot of years, with a lot of contenders waiting for their shot, and now there’s new guys in the mix growing stronger. But right off the top, I don’t really know. I think Khabib would be, but he’s not really in the mix now. Maybe Islam [Makhachev]. [He has a] similar style.”
Fifth-ranked Russian talent Makhachev (20-1) is one of the fastest-rising fighters in the division and is in the midst of an eight-fight Octagon win streak. In July, the long-time pupil of Nurmagomedov scored a dominant victory over top-15 fighter Thiago Moises, in his first opportunity as a headliner.
In October, he will next face a former champion in Rafael dos Anjos as UFC 267. A win over the former division titleholder could certainly put him in the center of the title shot conversation. Meaning if Poirer were to fight Oliveira next — the fight still hasn’t been made official — and dethrone the champion, a Poirier vs Makhachev fight could very well be a possibility in 2022.
What are your thoughts on Poirier’s choice as the toughest fight for him in the division?
