Dustin Poirier's representative hopeful of Michael Chandler fight next
Dustin Poirier is currently the No.2-ranked lightweight and No.7-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. He hasn't fought since last year, however, when he was submitted by Charles Oliveira in a lightweight title fight.
Michael Chandler, on the other hand, is currently the No.5-ranked lightweight. While his UFC career didn't get off to the best start, Chandler rebounded in dominant fashion. His front-kick knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 may just be the best knockout of the year.
The fight you’ve all been asking for 👀
@CharlesDoBronxs vs @MakhachevMMA is set for the LW title 👑
[ #UFC280 | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] https://t.co/GhqjbwZ0LM
With Islam Makhachev set to challenge Oliveira for the lightweight belt on a stacked UFC 280 card, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler are both looking for a fight. Poirier's representative, Tiki Ghosn, hinted that the two lightweights could clash soon while speaking with ESPN:
Asked Dustin Poirier's (@DustinPoirier) representative Tiki Ghosn (@tikighosn) for an update.
"Looks like it's going to be Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA). Sounds like he wants the smoke and Dustin is going to give it to him."
UFC hasn't reached out yet, though.
The two fighters recently clashed in the audience of UFC 276, and although Chandler stated that it wasn't the way to earn a fight with him, it looks like the fight could very well happen.
Poirier and Chandler get into it at #UFC276 https://t.co/VeT39YjX0x
Could a Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler fight happen soon?
Poirier and Chandler are two of the biggest names in MMA. While neither fighter is currently a champion, they are both big enough stars to headline an event. While Chandler has had a rough start to his UFC career, he recently rebounded and will be looking to build off of that and work his way back into title contention.
Poirier, on the other hand, hasn't lost a fight in nearly six years to a fighter that wasn't Oliveira or Khabib Nurmagomedov. He has been as consistent as possible while competing against some of the best names in the division.
A fight between Poirier and Chandler has the potential to be a great matchup, as both fighters are good on their feet and on the ground. Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez seems to believe that the matchup favors Chandler. Alvarez, who has fought both Poirier and Chandler, stated that if Chandler utilizes his wrestling, he should take care of Poirier fairly easily. He wants to see Chandler wrestle more often.
While the fight could very well be won on the ground, both fighters have the ability to finish fights on their feet as well. If this fight does take place, it will be interesting to see what strategy both fighters decide to deploy in order to neutralize the other.