Dustin Poirier is concerned about the size disadvantage featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will face when he squares off with 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev next month.
After scoring a shocking second-round submission over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280, Makhachev will put his newly won gold on the line for the first time against the No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world. On the cusp of another world title opportunity, Dustin Poirier will have his eye on the highly anticipated champion vs. champion showdown. Speaking to BroBible on YouTube, ‘The Diamond’ shared his thoughts on the impending title fight.
“I think Volk’s gonna be a little undersized at 155-pounds, but he could still win it. He could still get it done. He’s beat some great 145ers, you know. Beat Max Holloway a few times so we’ll see. I think he’s just gonna be a little bit undersized compared to Islam. Islam is big, solid, strong.”
Makhachev. Volkanovski. Lightweight Title. P4P Status. Perth. February. OFFICIAL 🤩#UFC284 pic.twitter.com/AWag8K4PSE
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) November 12, 2022
Dustin Poirier Addresses Possibility of Being the Official Backup For UFC 284’s Main Event
With no established return date, there is the potential for Poirier to be dubbed the designated backup should unforeseen circumstances force Makhachev or Volkanovski to withdraw from their UFC 284 headliner. Asked about that possibility, ‘The Diamond’ said:
“I would never say never, but they haven’t reached out yet.”
Poirier has only lost two fights dating back to 2017. Both were lightweight title opportunities with the first coming against UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242. ‘The Diamond’ came up short, losing the bout via a third-round rear-naked choke. Two years later, Poirier got another shot at gold challenging Charles Oliveira in the UFC 269 headliner. He would suffer the same fate, submitting to a rear-naked choke in the third round.
Poirier’s last appearance inside the Octagon came at UFC 281. ‘The Diamond’ delivered a Fight of the Year contender with ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler and earned the win by, ironically, a third-round rear-naked choke.
