"I don't hate that idea" - Chael Sonnen plays matchmaker for Dustin Poirier, suggests a fight against Tony Ferguson at welterweight
Dustin Poirier is a fighter without a fight at the moment, but he has a date in mind for his return. In a recent tweet, Poirier declared his intent to fight on July 30 at UFC 277. He even agreed to fight Colby Covington at welterweight if that meant he could secure that date.
In a new video on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen said Poirier's recent actions point to a move to welterweight. And if that's the case, Sonnen had some ideas for who ' The Diamond' should fight:
"If we are going to 170, let's take a look at this. I would even throw Tony Ferguson into the mix, regardless of what just happened to Tony. It was an excellent performance, he looked very good. If we're just having this discussion, we're moving a couple of guys up in weightclasses for their first time, I don't hate that idea of Poirier vs. Ferguson."
Sonnen went on to question why Nate Diaz vs. Dustin Poirier never came together, with Conor McGregor getting a big part of the blame. On that note, the former ufc middleweight also sounded interested in seeing 'The Diamond' vs. 'The Notorious' at welterweight, since both men seem headed to that division anyway.
Watch the full video of Chael Sonnen matchmaking Dustin Poirier below:
While a fight between Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier would be fun to watch, it's unlikely that Poirier would accept it considering Ferguson is on a four-fight losing streak. He's also under medical suspension after getting badly KO'd by Michael Chandler at UFC 274.
Dustin Poirier explains why he's now willing to fight Colby Covington
Following his one-sided domination of Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington called out Dustin Poirier in his typically offensive style, taking shots at Poirier's wife and daughter. That wasn't enough to get a rise out of Poirier, who was on vacation and barely bothered to respond over social media.
Colby Covington calls out Dustin Poirier after his victory 🗣️
@espnmma | #UFC272 https://t.co/VgcEqKhrmf
In follow-up interviews, Poirier said he didn't want to be part of a fight that would make Covington money. However, with no other options from the UFC on the table, he reluctantly accepted the match up. He told The MMA Hour:
"I don’t want to fight the guy. I don’t want him profiting anything off of me. But if they’re not going to give me a fight until the end of the year and this is what you’re giving me, I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. I don’t want to sit in a holding pattern. I fought in December, I don’t want to sit in a holding pattern for 10, 11 months."
With Colby Covington currently claiming he suffered a brain injury when Jorge Masvidal allegedly attacked him outside a Miami Beach restaurant, it's unclear if he'll even be able to fight on July 30.
Dustin Poirier says he was offered a fight with Colby Covington.
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/p47sw3BXPw