Dustin Poirier uses merely three words to name next opponent and date after Ali Abdelaziz’s title shot temptation
Less than 24 hours after his 30th professional victory, Dustin Poirier already has his next opponent in mind.
One day after his bonus-winning fight with Benoit Saint-Denis that resulted in a second-round knockout, Poirier issued a predictable callout on X, citing his desire to face Islam Makhachev in June. The tweet lines up with the lightweight champion's previous statement of wanting to defend his title in June before fighting again later in 2024.
While many fans may not want to see Poirier as the next lightweight title challenger due to his recent knockout loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291, the timing of his impressive win over Saint-Denis may make that matchup a possibility. Poirier currently sits at No. 3 in the UFC lightweight rankings with the two fighters above him set to fight in April.
Along with Makhachev, Ali Abdelaziz also reacted to Poirier's win by alluding to his fighter angling for a title defense against the 'The Diamond.'
Following the BMF title fight in the UFC 291 main event, many believed Gaethje had earned the next crack at Makhachev and the belt but 'The Highlight' is scheduled to face Max Holloway at UFC 300, making a turnaround for June seemingly unlikely.
Charles Oliveira, the current No. 1-ranked lightweight, will also fight on UFC 300 against No. 4-ranked Arman Tsarukyan. Given both fighters' recent performances and popularity, many assume the winner of the matchup will also fight for the title in their next outing.
In addition to the current slate of upcoming fights at lightweight, Makhachev showed signs of interest on social media following Dustin Poirier's performance.
Islam Makhachev reacts to Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Ali Abdelaziz was not the only member of Islam Makhachev's team to appear interested in a fight with Dustin Poirier as the champion's reaction to the UFC 299 co-main event raised eyebrows on X.
Immediately following the second-round comeback knockout from Poirier, Makhachev tweeted his thoughts on the 'impressive' finish.
Previously, Makhachev tweeted his plan to face Justin Gaethje in June but the BMF champion's UFC 300 bout with Max Holloway seemingly has removed him from the equation. In his three-fight plan, Makhachev, who seems intent on fighting in June after recovering from Ramadan, included his desire to face the winner of Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira in November at Madison Square Garden.
To finish his layout as lightweight champion, Makhachev claimed he hopes to fight 'anyone' in February 2025 in what would be his fifth title defense.