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UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier teased his next fight against the division's champion, Islam Makhachev.
In July 2023, Poirier suffered a setback when Justin Gaethje knocked him out for the BMF title. Luckily for 'The Diamond,' he bounced back on March 9 with a second-round knockout win against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299, placing himself in the lightweight title picture by halting the Frenchman's momentum.
Since then, the MMA community has wondered whether Dustin Poirier is next in line to challenge Islam Makhachev at 155 pounds for UFC gold. Although nothing is confirmed, the 35-year-old shared the following message on social media:
"Islam Makhachev is next. It's time to reach the pinnacle"
In October 2015, Makhachev suffered his lone professional MMA loss due to a first-round knockout against Adriano Martins. The Russian lightweight has since silenced the doubters by winning 13 consecutive fights, including eight inside the distance.
Makhachev was somewhat underestimated during his rise to the top because of his level of competition. Yet, the 32-year-old's last three wins against Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski x2 have solidified him as the number one pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
Why would Dustin Poirier receive a lightweight title shot before Justin Gaethje?
Dustin Poirier has reached a level of star power where he's arguably always one impressive win away from a title shot. With that said, Poirier recently suffered a loss against Justin Gaethje and may fight Islam Makhachev before the latter, which could be slightly confusing without the reasoning.
The most important factor is that Makhachev is looking to fight in the near future. He last fought in October 2023 and was temporarily sidelined due to Ramadan. As a result, Gaethje accepted another fight to remain active.
On April 13, Gaethje will defend his BMF throne against Max Holloway at UFC 300, which should be an action-packed war. Therefore, 'The Highlight' could need a few months to recover, making Poirier a better option if Makhachev wants to return in the next two months.
It should also be noted that Gaethje and 'The Diamond' haven't fought Makhachev, giving the lightweight king added motivation to add them to his resume.
Watch Poirier knock out Saint-Denis below:
