Laura Sanko gets poetic about why UFC 302 is a "date with destiny" for Dustin Poirier
Laura Sanko recently voiced her opinion on the main event of UFC 302. It is a lightweight title clash between reigning champion Islam Makhachev and former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.
In the post-fight press conference for UFC 300, promotional frontman Dana White made the pay-per-view announcement. The event is set to take place on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
After defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, Arman Tsarukyan was first given the chance to fight for the title, but he turned it down to ensure he was fully healthy. Poirier consequently got the call and agreed to face Makhahcev.
In a recent appearance on SiriusXM's MMA Today, Sanko discussed the Makhachev vs. Poirier fight. The UFC analyst and commentator believed in the ability of Poirier by saying:
''If anybody has the mentality to go in there, and take out the number 1 pound for pound fighter in the world, it is Dustin Poirier at this stage in his career.''
Sanko added:
''It just feels like this date with destiny, regardless of the outcome, there's a lot of meaning behind this one for both of these guys but particularly for Dustin.''
Check out Laura Sanko's comments below:
Makhachev has a professional MMA record of 25 wins and one defeat, whereas his American counterpart has 30 wins and eight defeats.
Makhachev is currently the top pound-for-pound fighter, according to the UFC official rankings. In his last octagon appearance at UFC 294, the 32-year-old squared off against former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, winning the fight via TKO in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Poirier is ranked fourth in UFC lightweight rankings. He is coming off a second-round TKO win against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299.
Dustin Poirier hints at retirement after UFC 302
Dustin Poirier's eagerly awaited championship matchup with Islam Makhachev may be his final appearance in the octagon.
The 35-year-old made hints about retiring in an interview with Fight Bananas. Poirier acknowledged his desire to become a world champion, but he emphasized the sacrifices required to sustain his elite rank for nearly 20 years.
''I just have a lot of stuff that kinda gets put on hold, so to say, for me to chase these dreams and stuff like that... I'm approaching 18 years of fighting, and I wanna become the world champion and live my life, you know?''
Poirier added:
''It could be [my last fight]. I haven't made an official decision yet, but it could be.'' [H/t: MMA Knockout]
Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (3:55):