Dustin Poirier says he can still make 155lbs, but explains why he'd prefer to fight Nate Diaz at 170lbs
Dustin Poirier claims he won't have any problem making the lightweight limit of 155lbs on the scale but feels there's also scope for him to fight at welterweight.
'The Diamond' said he is unclear about his standing as a potential contender in the lightweight division right now and doesn't know exactly how many wins he needs to fight for the title again.
The Diamond looking big 💎💪
(via @DustinPoirier) https://t.co/qt5zk5SXNn
At welterweight, however, Poirier claims he has a lot of interesting matchups to explore. He likened the potential move to welterweight with his move to lightweight from featherweight after the loss to Conor McGregor back in 2014.
We'll see twitter.com/PProkulski/sta…
In a recent interview with Megan Olivi, Poirier said:
"I've done it before, you know, I've moved up before in the midst of the of the unknown and the uncertain... I don't know we'll see, I can still make 55... I can still make the cut, do I want to make it five more times to get another title shot? I don't know where I'm at with that it's still kind of murky and undecided but there are fun fights for me at 170."
At 170lbs, Poirier has been eyeing a potential clash with Nate Diaz for a while now. The Louisiana native believes it'll be a great fight which fans would love to see. 'The Diamond' hopes to share the octagon with Diaz after the Stockton native sorts out his contract negotiations with the UFC.
"If Nate Diaz does get a deal done with the UFC, that's a fight we've been supposed to do. I think the fans would be in for a treat, that's something I want to do where I'm at..."
Check out Dustin Poirier's interview with Megan Olivi below:
Dustin Poirier explains why the Nate Diaz fight "means something" to him
At this stage of his career, Poirier says he only wants fights that mean something to him. Citing the example of a potential clash with Diaz, Poirier said he watched the Stockton native compete in The Ultimate Fighter as a kid. Therefore, it would mean a lot to share the cage with him.
Poirier further praised Nate and his older brother Nick for their fighting styles and claimed he always tunes in when they are fighting.
"Nate's a fight that means something to me. I watched the guy on The Ultimate Fighter when I was a kid. He's a guy, him and his brother both, I respect their fighting style, I enjoy watching them fight. Whenever they fight I'm tuning in. Those are the kind of fights I want to be a part of..." Dustin Poirier said.
The last time Dustin Poirier entered the octagon was back in December at UFC 269 when he fought Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title. Poirier headed into the fight as favorite following back-to-back stoppage wins against Conor McGregor in 2021.
Starting the fight on the front foot and even scoring a knockdown in the opening round, Poirier started losing control of the bout in the second round. After dominating 'The Diamond' on the mat with vicious ground-and-pound strikes in the second round, Oliveira locked in a rear-naked choke at the start of the third round to retain his lightweight title.