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Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has confirmed that he's been "paid in full" by the UFC and said that he is now eager to step inside the Octagon and "earn it in blood".
Dustin Poirier had recently stated on Twitter that an official announcement regarding his return to the Octagon was around the corner, which makes us wonder who his opponent could be if Conor McGregor is unwilling to sign on the dotted line. UFC president Dana White had earlier confirmed that an offer was made by the promotion to both Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor for a rematch inside the Octagon in January and while "The Diamond" has accepted the offer, the Irishman is yet to reply, making it unclear whether the currently retired superstar is interested in fighting inside the Octagon again.
Who is Dustin Poirier's next opponent?
There's been an interesting development since then, and Poirier may have hinted at who his next opponent might be. Dustin Poirier retweeted a post by Tony Ferguson stating that the latter will make a fight announcement on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show. Given that the pair was initially supposed to lock horns inside the cage before the Poirier had a disagreement with the UFC regarding his contract and the matchup fell through.
Now that Poirier has agreed to fight and Ferguson is also without an opponent even though the rumors of a matchup against Michael Chandler popped up a couple of times, this could indeed be the best time to matchup Ferguson and Poirier in a #1 contender's fight, with the winner going on to face the winner of the upcoming Justin Gaethje vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov clash at UFC 254.
Well, whoever Dustin Poirier fights next, Ferguson or McGregor, it will make for a riveting watch for fight fans to witness two of the greatest lightweights on planet earth throw down during their prime.
