Former UFC champion claims Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje don't need to fight surging lightweight contenders

Michael Bisping believes it is okay for established names like Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje to not fight up-and-coming contenders in the UFC's lightweight shark tank.

In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, 'The Count' claimed that the two lightweight veterans are looking out for themselves while making fight choices, something he thinks they are entitled to do:

"You can't blame Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje. They're looking after their own careers. When they're making their career choices, they are not thinking about every other person in the lightweight top 10. They're doing what's best for them and that's exactly what they should do," said Michael Bisping.

Check out the full video below:

Bisping's comments come after Beneil Dariush stated that if Poirier was not interested in fighting rising contenders, 'The Diamond' should retire from the sport.

He told Submission Radio:

"I wish he’d be a little bit more clear as to, what is it that doesn’t excite him about me? Are my fights not exciting enough? Or is it a skill issue? Or is it just because I don’t have the name? "Because if it’s just because of the name, he should really consider – and I say this as nicely as possible, I’m not trying to be a d***, but he should really consider retiring."

Poirier responded to the tweet by thanking Dariush and offering him free shipping on his hot sauce.

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What's next for Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje?

Dustin Poirier recently competed against Michael Chandler at UFC 281. The fight was a back-and-forth thriller that ended with a submission victory for 'The Diamond' in the third round.

The contest was declared Fight of the Night and both athletes took home an additional $50,000.

Currently, Poirier does not have a fight lined up. Considering his position in the lightweight division, a showdown against Beneil Dariush would appear to make sense.

Justin Gaethje, on the other hand, is currently being rumored to fight Rafael Fiziev in March. 'Ataman' recently revealed that the UFC had promised him the fight and he's just waiting for the official contract now.

Gaethje was last seen in action at UFC 274 when he fought for the lightweight title against Charles Oliveira. 'The Highlight' came up short that night, losing the fight via first-round submission.