"That makes a lot of sense" - Dustin Poirier seems to agree with Khabib Nurmagomedov's choice for 'The Diamond's next opponent
Dustin Poirier was victorious in a bout with Michael Chandler at UFC 281 that was awarded Fight of the Night. The matchup lived up to its expectations, with both men showing tremendous heart and toughness as damaging blows landed from both sides. 'The Diamond' managed to submit Chandler via a rear-naked choke in round three.
During Dustin Poirier's post-fight press conference, he was made aware of Khabib Nurmagomedov's tweet, which suggested that 'The Diamond' fight Beneil Dariush next. With Poirier ranked No.2 at lightweight and Dariush at No.4, it would be a sensible matchup to make.
'The Diamond' agreed with Nurmagomedov's suggestion. However, it may not happen as soon as 'The Eagle' would like, as he called for it to take place in February 2023.
Poirier replied to this suggestion by saying :
"That's one that makes a lot of sense. Beneil has earned his stripes and put away some tough guys, and has been looking great doing it. We'll see, I'm not against it. But it's ultimately up to the UFC and my timeframe [of] when I want to return. That's what it comes down to."
Watch the video below from 7:50:
Dustin Poirier recounts his mindset going into round 3 against Michael Chandler
Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler were involved in a brutal back-and-forth clash at UFC 281. The bout took place over three rounds, with 'The Diamond' securing the victory with a third-round submission.
Both men landed powerful shots in round one, and 'Iron' looked as though he could put Poirier away early in the fight. However, 'The Diamond' rallied back and almost finished Chandler with a flurry of punches as the clock expired.
Round two was decisively Chandler's, as he controlled Dustin Poirer for the majority of the round. Most people gave the first round to 'The Diamond', which meant it was 1-1 going into the final round. Poirier dug deep and was able to secure yet another remarkable victory.
Whist recapping the fight on ESPN MMA, Poirier recounted his thoughts heading into the crucial third round:
"I just knew I had to be in the moment. This next five minutes was gonna determine win or lose. Am I going home a winner or am I going home a loser? This next five minutes is where it's gonna be won or lost. So I knew I had to focus and pull together."
Watch the video below: