"It's great company to be in" - Dustin Poirier on competing with Kamaru Usman for potential UFC fighter of the year award
![Dustin Poirier (left), Kamaru Usman (right) [Credits: @dustinpoirier, @ufc via Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/ac8f5-16370404444186-1920.jpg?w=500)
Dustin Poirier expressed his opinion on what it feels like to compete with Kamaru Usman for the potential Fighter of the Year award.
'The Diamond' appeared on The MMA Hour show with Ariel Helwani and seemed noticeably excited for the potential honor.
He commented:
"It's great company to be in, I guess. [Kamaru Usman] is already up there, he's defending his belt, doing his thing. I gotta go out there and make this a reality. So, let's get on here after the fight. Let's get on here the week after the fight. Then, I'll make my claim for the fighter of the year."
Dustin Poirier and Kamaru Usman are undoubtedly the front-runners for the award, with the latter most likely ahead in the race considering all his fights have been for the title.
Kamaru Usman, who also captured the pound-for-pound No.1 spot, just defended his belt against Colby Covington at UFC 268 in New York and concluded the year with three title defenses.
Meanwhile, Dustin Poirier fought and beat Conor McGregor twice, setting himself up for a shot at the title. The Louisiana-native will now face lightweight king Charles Oliveira for the belt on December 11 at UFC 269.
Should Poirier secure the belt with a victory, he will solidify his claim to being awarded the Fighter of the Year honors.
Dustin Poirier says he will finish Charles Oliveira at UFC 269; claims 25 minutes against him will be too much for 'Do Bronx'
Dustin Poirier gave a confident prediction for the outcome of his fight against Charles Oliveira. When asked about how he envisioned the fight going, 'The Diamond' said:
"I really think I'm gonna stop this guy, I really think that I'm gonna stop him. You know 25 minutes, too long to fight with me and not get hit with a shot and not get in a bad position. I'm feeling the best I've ever felt, my body feels good. I'm really focused, I can't wait... 25 minutes to make life fair."
Watch Dustin Poirier's full interview on The MMA Hour below:
Although Dustin Poirier's resume inside the octagon is commendable, Charles Oliveira is on a 9-fight win streak inside the UFC. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist has not lost a bout since 2017 and, like Poirier, is in his prime.
He also holds the record for the most finishes (17) in UFC history.