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Each time he steps into the cage to compete, Dustin Poirier becomes a much bigger star than he already is, and given his excellent run of form inside the octagon, who is the lightweight facing next?
'The Diamond' has been a 155lb mainstay since his move up from featherweight eight years ago and, despite never holding UFC gold, finds himself a constant threat to the title. Having already had two shots at the throne and failing both times, the veteran is once again within touching distance of the lightweight crown.
Poirier has eight wins in his last ten outings, with two losses coming in title fights. He finds himself in pole position for a number one contender bout, but it seems the promotion has passed him up.
Despite putting on a fight-of-the-night display and being the first-ever man to earn a submission against Michael Chandler last time out, the Louisiana native finds himself desperately waiting for a fight while 'Iron' is gifted a huge TUF spot.
Being passed up for a spot alongside Conor McGregor on The Ultimate Fighter is likely a tough pill to swallow. But being pushed out of the title picture is also a huge spit in the face of the 34-year-old.
Dustin Poirier's #2 divisional ranking has been snubbed as the UFC has decided to book Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush in a clash that likely has championship implications on the line for the winner.
Poirier finds himself without an opponent and will likely have to fight down if he wants to remain active in the division.
Beneil Dariush's lightweight division breakdown: What does it mean for Dustin Poirier's next fight?
Ahead of his barnburner with Charles Oliveira later this year, Beneil Dariush has given his thoughts on how he expects the lightweight picture to play out, which could spell bad news for Dustin Poirier.
During a recent interview, the well-rounded contender insisted that a win over 'Do Bronx' would put him in line to face Rafael Fiziev, should he manage to beat Justin Gaethje.
But despite the large number of 155lb matchups, Dariush believes McGregor will leapfrog the division and be awarded a title shot with a win over Chandler, saying:
"If Chandler wins, I don't think he's going to get the title shot. But if Conor wins, it's a possibility that they give him the title shot."
