On November 12th, Dustin Poirier will step back into the Octagon for a highly-anticipated meeting with fellow fan-favorite ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler.
‘The Diamond‘ will look to avoid back-to-back losses in the evening’s co-main event while Chandler aims to win two straight for the first time in his UFC career. Considered by many to be two of the nicest and most well-respected fighters in the world, fans were surprised at the animosity displayed between Poirier and Chandler ahead of their UFC 281 showdown.
Speaking with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, ‘The Diamond’ gave some insight on why the two have been at odds with one another heading into their mid-November clash.
“I think it started in Abu Dhabi whenever they started asking me about fighting him and I kind of brushed it off. He took that like I was disrespecting him and since then, you know it’s just we’re in the same division. We’re on a collision course. This is fighting. That’s just what it is.”
With Poirier looking to avoid back-to-back losses, ‘The Diamond’ was asked if he views the bout as a must-win.
“I look at every fight that way. Every fight is a must-win.”
One of the greatest finishes in UFC history 💎! @DustinPoirier pic.twitter.com/SjUMH3TxcL
— Front Willow (@frontwillow) November 1, 2022
Dustin Poirier on Preparing for the Explosiveness of Michael Chandler
‘Iron’ Michael Chandler has quickly grown the reputation of a fighter that is more concerned with entertaining the fans than winning the fight. His balls-to-the-wall style has made him an immediate favorite amongst UFC fans and can prove to be overwhelming for many opponents.
Dustin Poirier recognizes the full-gear style of fighting that Chandler employs inside the Octagon and has implemented that into his preparation for their clash at UFC 281.
“Every opponent brings something different to the table, but when a guy like Mike comes out guns blazing, I have to take that into account in training camp and how we approach the fight. I have to keep myself protected early. He’s a very explosive powerful athletic fighter. A big puncher and you know if I didn’t pay attention to that, especially early, it could be huge consequences so, of course, we do.”
