"This guy is dangerous everywhere" - Dustin Poirier weighs in on the masses seemingly underestimating Charles Oliveira ahead of UFC 269 title fight
Dustin Poirier is set to face current lightweight title holder Charles Oliveira in a highly anticipated showdown at UFC 269.
Many were hoping to see Poirier vs. Oliveira instead of Chandler for the vacant title, but 'The Diamond' opted to prioritize a rubber match against Conor McGregor.
Charles Oliveira, meanwhile, has set records with the most finishes and submissions in UFC history, while also capturing the undisputed lightweight championship.
Despite his incredible resume, Charles Oliveira has seemingly been overlooked by many leading up to UFC 269.
Not by me twitter.com/GeezFX/status/โฆ
Oliveira's accomplishments are not something Dustin Poirier is taking lightly. Many MMA purists believe that Oliveira is a major underdog and is being underestimated against Dustin Poirier. 'The Diamond' addressed this in the UFC's latest installment of Run It Back and said:
"I saw somebody say this [Oliveira is being underestimated] and I kind of felt the same way... This guy is dangerous everywhere. Big knees, big elbows, big punches. Fights to finish, jiu jitsu is incredible. Numbers don't lie - he's finished more people than anybody in the UFC, I believe. Now he's a world champion."
Dustin Poirier is considered by many to be the best lightweight in the UFC since Khabib Nurmagomedov retired in October 2020. 'The Diamond' holds wins over decorated fighters like Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez and more.
Despite all his accomplishments at 155lbs, gold has eluded Dustin Poirier. The Louisiana native's previous title shot came against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, which he lost via a rear naked choke.
Poirier is coming off a big win in the battle against pay-per-view kingpin and nemesis Conor McGregor at UFC 264. The win marked Poirier's third consecutive win; he's also won seven of his last eight.
Charles Oliveira won the lightweight belt at UFC 262 in April this year in a competitive fight against Michael Chandler that culminated in a second round stoppage for the Brazilian.
Watch the full segment of Run It Back with Dustin Poirier below:
Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira's records make for a historic title fight
Both main event fighters for the lightweight throne at UFC 269 have had a long career full of ups and downs.
Dustin Poirier is currently ranked first in the lightweight division, and sixth in the UFC pound-for-pound list, which is quite interesting, given the fact that the champion is listed as eighth on the list.
.@CharlesDoBronxs vs. @DustinPoirier is a special title fight.
The #UFC269 headliners combine for the most UFC fights, wins, finishes and bonuses ever a championship bout. ๐คฏ https://t.co/RgAyQbh64P
Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier go into UFC 269 with the most experience amongst two rivals meeting for the title in UFC history.