“Gamrot busted my ribs up three weeks ago” - Dustin Poirier talks readiness for potential Islam Makhachev title fight in summer
Dustin Poirier believes that a fight with Islam Makhachev can go down in June.
'The Diamond' returned to the cage in the co-main event of UFC 299 on Saturday night. Back for the first time since a knockout loss to Justin Gaethje last July, Poirier faced the rising Benoit Saint Denis. The Frenchman had won five in a row heading into the contest, all coming by way of finish.
For the first round on Saturday, the 'God of War' was living up to the hype. However, early in the second, Poirier rocked Saint Denis badly. As a result, he wound up viciously knocking out the rising lightweight contender.
With the victory, Poirier was back on the right track. Following the victory, 'The Diamond' took to social media and called for a fight with Islam Makhachev in June. The UFC lightweight champion quickly responded on X, indicating that he was interested.
Furthermore, it seems that the bout could actually happen. Earlier today, Poirier appeared on an edition of The MMA Hour, where he was asked about fighting Makhachev. In reply, he stated that while he's dealing with injuries, he believes it could happen.
In the interview, Poirier stated:
"I do think it could happen... Let's go. I do [think the UFC could make it], I think so.. I didn't take any damage in this fight, yeah I'd be okay with June. I actually went into this fight with a couple of injuries from camp, [Mateusz] Gamrot actually busted my ribs up three weeks ago."
Check out Dustin Poirier's comments in the video below:
Islam Makhachev explains why he wants to fight Dustin Poirier in June
Islam Makhachev's first choice for his next fight likely won't have been Dustin Poirier.
However, the Russian champion badly wants to fight. On X, Makhachev responded to a fan who questioned his decision to accept a bout with 'The Diamond'.
The fan referenced the fact that Justin Gaethje just put the former interim titleholder out cold last year. As of now, 'The Highlight' is set to return at UFC 300 in a defense of his 'BMF' gold against Max Holloway. However, Makhachev isn't thinking about any of that.
On X, Makhachev kept it simple when asked why he wanted to fight Poirier. The champion wrote:
"Want to fight brotha, no more wait"
Check out his post below: