Daniel Cormier believes the UFC should book Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier.
On March 9, Poirier made a statement in the lightweight division by securing a second-round knockout win against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299. The impressive performance by ‘The Diamond’ has added another highlight to his legendary resume and placed him in the conversation for the next 155-pound title shot.
It’s unclear what the UFC plans to do, as Poirier suffered a knockout loss against Justin Gaethje before taking out Saint-Denis. With that said, Gaethje is scheduled to fight Max Holloway for the BMF title on April 13 at UFC 300, potentially ruining his chances to challenge Makhachev next.
Cormier recently posted a video on his YouTube channel and had this to say about the possibility of Poirier receiving the next lightweight title shot:
“[Makhachev vs. Poirier] is a no-lose situation for the UFC. Islam wants to fight, so I think you have to try and make that happen as soon as possible. It works, it works. For Dustin Poirier, massive chance. For Islam Makhachev, another former champion you can put under your belt. That is storytelling.”
Cormier continued:
“You can’t control the outcome, but you can put them in a position for someone to make magic and then you as the company can capitalize on it. I love it. Book it right now, book it. Makhachev vs. Poirier, it will be a massive fight. It really will be the biggest fight that Islam Makhachev has ever had in terms of the box office.”
Watch Poirier knock out Saint-Denis at UFC 299 below:
BSD gets knocked out by Poirier pic.twitter.com/nT3XQrcIJw
— STREET FIGHT 🔞🥊 2M?🤩(FOLLOW FOR NOTHING MISSED) (@streetfighthard) March 10, 2024
Daniel Cormier explains why Islam Makhachev should “become the villain” in potential fight against Dustin Poirier
Islam Makhachev has separated himself from other lightweights by racking up wins against Alexander Volkanovski x2, Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan. Daniel Cormier believes Makhachev now needs to focus on promoting himself to maximize his superstar potential.
During the previously mentioned YouTube video, Cormier explained why Makhachev must become a villain:
“I think this is the next logical step in the evolution of Islam Makhachev. Now you have to be a little bit more forward. Look, he’s very blunt, a lot of the Dagestanis are. At times, that can get misinterpreted for being disrespectful. That is just how they are. They’re very blunt, they’re very direct… While it may come off as [disrespectful], I would steer into that if I’m the champ. I would try to become the evil empire. I would try to become the villain.”
Cormier continued by offering Makhachev advice on what he should do in a hypothetical fight buildup with Dustin Poirier:
“Islam needs to tell Dustin, ‘You’re never gonna do it. You don’t belong on my level. You got here because there was no one else.’ That would make the people where he fought fight hate him. That would make people run to support Dustin Poirier. That would also make people think about it more, make people care more, make people tap into what they have going on more, and ultimately, that’s what’s important. Nothing else, what’s important is people caring.”
On April 13, another lightweight contender will likely enter the title shot conversation, as Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan go toe-to-toe at UFC 300. It should be noted that Dustin Poirier is the only potential next opponent for Islam Makhachev who doesn’t have a loss against the reigning 155-pound world champion.
Watch Cormier’s full YouTube video below:
