5 potential opponents for Dustin Poirier if he doesn't fight Conor McGregor at UFC 264
A knockout kick to the head of Dustin Poirier in the fourth round. That was Conor McGregor's ‘Mystic Mac’ prediction on Instagram for their trilogy fight, apparently scheduled for UFC 264 in July. For better or for worse, there is certainly never a dull moment in the world of Conor McGregor.
Poirier responded on Twitter, accusing McGregor and his team of not upholding their agreed donation of $500K to The Good Fight Foundation. Both fighters tweeted back and forth before McGregor threw his dolly out of the pram, announcing that the fight was off.
Here are five potential opponents for Dustin Poirier if he doesn’t fight Conor McGregor.
#5 Dustin Poirier vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Rafael dos Anjos, a former UFC lightweight champion, has been a staple inside the octagon for over 12 years. The Brazilian boasts wins over the likes of Donald Cerrone, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis and Robbie Lawler. Dos Anjos also knows what it’s like to miss out on a showdown with McGregor, as he was forced out of their scheduled bout in 2016 due to injury.
A victory over Paul Felder in November 2020 has put dos Anjos back into lightweight contention. He now sits seventh in the division's rankings. This would be a great chance for Dustin Poirier to compete against another high-level fighter on his way to an inevitable title shot.
#5 Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker
The Sparks flew when Poirier met Hooker in June last year, as the pair battled it out for 25 minutes inside the octagon. ‘The Diamond’ won via unanimous decision and the bout was declared the Fight of the Night.
While Hooker has since suffered his worst UFC loss, a TKO defeat to debutant Michael Chandler earlier this year, the New Zealand-native still has victories over Al Iaquinta, Paul Felder and Gilbert Burns. Stylistically, a rematch against Poirier 12 months later is something the fans would love to see.
#3 Dustin Poirier vs. Islam Makhachev
Khabib Nurmagomedov, the greatest UFC fighter in the lightweight division's history, unfortunately retired from the octagon last year. However, his protégé and fellow Dagestani Islam Makhachev may be about to follow in his footsteps.
Makhachev is currently on a seven-fight winning streak in the UFC, dating all the way back to 2016. This is potentially the most dangerous matchup for Poirier to take. He has been to this rodeo before after being defeated by Khabib in 2019, who would no doubt be in Makhachev’s corner against ‘The Diamond’. Perhaps that’s what makes this potential matchup so tantalizing.
#2 Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2
Losing to Dustin Poirier in 2018 was perhaps the turning point of Justin Gaethje’s career. Having lost back-to-back fights for the first time, he then went on to finish his next four opponents and claim the interim UFC lightweight championship.
Both ‘The Diamond’ and 'The Highlight' have been destroyed by Khabib Nurmagomedov since they met in the octagon and to come full circle with a rematch just makes sense. Gaethje will feel he has something to prove.
#1 Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway 3
How does the UFC replace a trilogy fight? With a trilogy fight! Max Holloway first fought Dustin Poirier in 2012. It wouldn’t be until a year later that a certain Conor McGregor made his UFC debut, so this trilogy fight’s roots certainly go deep.
‘The Diamond’ has beaten ‘Blessed’ twice, but that doesn’t tell the full story. Their first fight was at featherweight, very early in their respective careers. Both fighters have since evolved into world class MMA stars. Now a former UFC featherweight champion, Holloway defeated legend Jose Aldo twice in emphatic fashion.
The Hawaiian would likely have to move back up to lightweight, as he did for their second fight. But that surely would not deter him from the chance to get a win over Poirier. And if he wins? We could get the first ever UFC tetralogy fight next!