Charles Oliveira

UFC: Dustin Poirier will pull himself out of title picture if not offered the fight he wants

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Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) is still riding high after his massive victory at UFC 257. It’s been just over a week, but the fight world is still buzzing about Poirier’s performance and his knockout over former two-division UFC champion, Conor McGregor (22-5).

Poirier’s run in the lightweight division is something truly special. He’s defeated the likes of McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, Dan Hooker, and Anthony Pettis. Since 2016, only Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) has been able to defeat Poirier.

After Poirier won at UFC 257, he made it clear that he believes he’s the uncrowned champion if Khabib is retired. When asked what he wanted next, Poirier said there were only three fighters who he was interested in at the moment.

In the post-fight press conference, Poirier listed off McGregor, Nate Diaz (20-12), and Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Dana White said that the UFC wanted to put Poirier against Michael Chandler (22-5), however, Poirier hasn’t seem interested.

In a new interview with MMA Junkie, Poirier reiterated the fact that he’s only interested in certain opponents. Poirier went on to say in this recent interview that the UFC can put on another title fight and he’d remove himself if he’s only offered fights that don’t make sense to him.

What will the UFC do?

“I want to be the world champion, and Charles is a guy that’s paid his dues,” Poirier said to MMA Junkie. “Let him and Chandler fight for the belt. If they want Chandler in there for the title, and he’s calling for the title. Let them fight for the belt. I’ll take a step back and just watch.”

The UFC is now put in a very interesting position. Really, out of anybody inside the top five or six in the lightweight division, a fight with Charles Oliveira would sell the least in terms of PPVs.

Yes, Oliveira is on this incredible run where he’s won eight straight. However, he still doesn’t have massive buying appeal. In those eight wins, the only main wins of significance were Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson, who was dominated by Justin Gaethje earlier in 2020.

Michael Chandler is a much bigger opponent in terms of business for the UFC. The same can be said for McGregor and Nate Diaz. Based on Poirier’s current position, I personally believe that the trilogy with McGregor is likely going to come next.

As of right now, I just can’t see the promotion making the fight between him and Oliveira. I think Oliveira needs to get one more signature win to build up the awareness around him a bit more. Oliveira is like the Leon Edwards of the lightweight division. Resume is great, but drawing power is not.

Is the UFC booking Poirier – McGregor 3 next?

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dustin poirier, ufc

Last weekend at UFC 257, we got to see the highly anticipated rematch between Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) and Conor McGregor (22-5). Both men had their moments in the fight, but just like the first one, this fight didn’t go the distance.

After losing the first round, Poirier really started to do damage to the lead leg of McGregor in the second. Eventually, Poirier kicked McGregor’s calf to the point where his leg seriously buckled. Once Poirier saw McGregor hurt, he never let up.

Poirier pushed McGregor against the fence and unleashed a combination from hell. Eventually, he connected on a right that sat McGregor down and gave him the victory at UFC 257. Arguably the biggest win in the career of Dustin Poirier.

After the fight, Dana White said that it didn’t look good for UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0), in terms of coming back. White said that Poirier would get the next shot at the title.

Dana White said that he’d love to see Poirier fight Michael Chandler, however, Poirier wasn’t interested. In the UFC 257 post-fight press conference, Poirier said he’s mainly thinking of three guys: McGregor, Nate Diaz (20-12), and Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC).

McGregor’s head coach came out this week and said that McGregor wanted the trilogy for the title in April or May. While it seems a little off, is that what the UFC is going to end up doing?

What will the UFC do?

Would there be an ounce of my body that would be surprised if Poirier – McGregor 3 is next? No, because the UFC is a business and that fight would do massively well. Especially considering a title would be attached to it.

Both men want the trilogy and both men have knocked each other out. While it would be a massive fight, I’m not sure it makes the most sense for the lightweight division.

Then again, I can’t see Oliveira getting the shot at Poirier because that fight wouldn’t sell well. The UFC has several options for Dustin Poirier. However, the one fight that would sell the least is a fight with Charles Oliveira.

After hearing Poirier’s comments and comments from the McGregor camp, I would not be shocked at all to see the trilogy get made next. I personally think McGregor and Diaz should fight next, but the promotion might want to capitalize on the heat of the moment between McGregor and Poirier.

State of the lightweight division after UFC 257

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This past weekend at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) and Conor McGregor (22-5) had their highly anticipated rematch. The lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0), was watching and trying to decide if he wanted to come back to fighting.

Dustin Poirier had the performance of a lifetime. After losing the first round on all three scorecards, Poirier came back to TKO McGregor in the second round at UFC 257 and proved that he’s the best lightweight in the world not named Khabib Nurmagomedov.

After the event was over, many were wondering what Khabib would do. Khabib had retired after UFC 254 when he dominated Justin Gaethje (22-3) to retain his lightweight title. However, Dana White said that if someone enticed him to come back, he would.

At the UFC 257 post-fight press conference, Dana White said that it didn’t look good for Khabib coming back. At the end of the day, Nurmagomedov dominated the three best lightweights in the UFC in his last three fights. Not only that, but he finished all three of them.

State of the UFC’s lightweight division

For the sake of this, let’s take Khabib out of the question. The number one lightweight in the UFC is Dustin Poirier. He’s proved that over the last few years and now he’s stopped both Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje.

Right behind Poirier you have McGregor and Gaethje. Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) is currently on an eight-fight win streak and Poirier said after the fight that he’s probably the most deserving guy in the division of a UFC title shot.

Also at UFC 257, Michael Chandler (22-5) made his debut against Dan Hooker (20-10). Chandler knocked Hooker out in the first round to secure his third straight first round knockout on Saturday night. He’s expected to be in the top five when the rankings come out.

The wildcard in the lightweight division is Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz is one of the biggest stars in the sport and he’s returning to the lightweight division. After UFC 257, Diaz called for a fight against Dustin Poirier. 

Needless to say, the lightweight division is stacked. Poirier is going to be fighting for the title in his next fight. There are questions around who that will be. Poirier said that he’s only interested in three opponents: McGregor, Diaz, and Oliveira.

However, Dana White said that he believed that Chandler should get the shot at Poirier. If I had to take a guess, I think the UFC is going to put Poirier against Diaz or McGregor for the title. Those are the two biggest fights to make and that’s what The Diamond wants. Fun times ahead at lightweight.

UFC: If Khabib stays retired, Poirier will fight Chandler for the title per Dana White

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UFC, Dana White

What a night it was at UFC 257. We saw some shocking results and some incredible fights. Of course, the headlines everywhere will be talking about how Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) knocked out Conor McGregor (22-5) in the second round.

After a good first round for McGregor, Poirier really started to hurt him with leg kicks. A couple of minutes into the second round and McGregor really wobbled from a big calf kick. Poirier swarmed and landed some shots up top that put McGregor down. 

Poirier proved he’s the best lightweight in the UFC not named Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0). Just one fight before Poirier, Michael Chandler (22-5) announced his presence against Dan Hooker (20-10) in the co-main event.

Chandler knocked out Hooker with a vicious left hand and follow up shots. There were a lot of questions about Michael Chandler entering UFC 257 and he answered all of them tonight.

During the post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about the champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. White said that it didn’t look positive in terms of Khabib coming back to fight again which means the UFC‘s lightweight title is up for grabs. White already has a plan for the title.

UFC’s next lightweight title fight

Dana White told the media after UFC 257 that Dustin Poirier would be fighting Michael Chandler for the lightweight title next. This is of course assuming Khabib decides to stay retired.

Both men are coming off of incredible performances on the biggest stage possible. It makes perfect sense for the UFC to capitalize on the momentum of both fighters after such a massive event.

There are a lot of fans who will probably feel for Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Oliveira is currently riding a eight-fight win streak at lightweight. He just dismantled Tony Ferguson (25-5) back at UFC 256.

However, Ferguson is really the only big win that he has. Ferguson’s stock is also not as high after he was destroyed by Justin Gaethje (22-3) earlier in 2020. My guess is that the promotion will book Gaethje – Oliveira.

I think the fight that makes the most sense for the title is Chandler – Poirier. Two incredible performances and two athletes that will bring it for the UFC. 2021 should be a fun year for the lightweight division.

Khabib and Dana White to meet one final time after UFC 257 in Las Vegas

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This weekend, Dana White and UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0), had their much anticipated meeting. The world was expecting a final resolution after the meeting. White teased that an announcement would be made at UFC Fight Island 7.

Well, White did announce the results of that conversation yesterday. However, in the end, nothing new came of it. According to White, Khabib is going to sit back and watch UFC 257 and see if any of the four top lightweights competing entices him to come back.

Khabib has apparently told White that he doesn’t want to tie up the division. He apparently has been very impressed with Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) as of late, but he’s still not 100% sure he will come back. He’s looking for something that excites him to make him come back.

While that’s certainly not a yes, the more important thing is that it’s not a no. With Khabib telling White that he’ll sit back and wait, you can tell that the UFC lightweight champion is still interested in competing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t think twice about UFC 257 next weekend.

UFC’s plan with Khabib

Dana White told the media at the UFC Fight Island 7 post-fight press conference that Khabib is leaving Fight Island after the Wednesday card. However, he’s not flying home to Russia, but instead, he’s flying to Las Vegas.

After the UFC’s current stint on Fight Island wraps up, White will be returning to Las Vegas as well. White said that the current plan is for him and Khabib to meet up for dinner after he returns home from Fight Island.

Apparently, that is the meeting where the final decision will be made. After next weekend, Khabib will decide whether there are any challenges left for him in the UFC that interest him. If so, he’ll come back to defend the title. If not, he will vacate the title for the division to move on.

It’s not a secret, but the desire for the UFC is to have Khabib defend his title in a rematch against Conor McGregor (22-4). McGregor of course headlines UFC 257 against Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC). Should McGregor win, that will be the fight the UFC pushes for. It’ll be interesting to see if Khabib is interested.

Is the UFC targeting Nate Diaz – Justin Gaethje?

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Earlier this week, Dana White said that the UFC was working on the lightweight return of Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz is one of the biggest stars in the sport and a return to lightweight would signal that he plans to be more active.

White wouldn’t give any significant clues on who his opponent would be. However, he did shut down the rumor of a potential fight with Tony Ferguson (25-5). That’s a fight that UFC fans really liked, but it’s not the fight the promotion is moving towards.

One intriguing things is that White said if Diaz wins, it’ll put him in a great position at lightweight. With that, you have to imagine that whoever he fights will be a top ranked UFC lightweight.

I started thinking through all of the guys in the top ten and I listed out some options in this article. However, while on Fight Island, White was interviewed by Farrah Hannoun and she threw out an option that made the boss smile. That option was Justin Gaethje (22-3)

Will the UFC book Diaz – Gaethje?

When Hannoun gave a guess of Diaz – Gaethje, White just smiled and said, “I don’t know, we’ll see.” Of course, that’s a classic response from the UFC president. If this is the direction the promotion goes, it would be a change from the original plan.

Recently, White said that the UFC was trying to make Justin Gaethje – Charles Oliveira. Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) is on an incredible streak and many believe that he could be the most dangerous contender in the lightweight division.

However, Oliveira’s manager came out and said that they didn’t want the Gaethje fight. With Oliveira seemingly not interested in fighting The Highlight, it is very possible that the UFC switches gears to make the Diaz fight which would be a huge winner with fans.

Today, Dana White is going to announce the future of Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0). White said in a video that he would announce Khabib’s future and what it means for the rest of the lightweight division. We should expect some clarity at 155 within the next week.

Charles Oliveira wants a UFC title shot next, not Justin Gaethje

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A UFC lightweight who saw his stock soar in 2020 was “Do Bronx” Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Oliveira has flown under the radar in the premium division in the promotion despite the winning streak he’s on.

Heading into 2020, Oliveira was riding a six-fight winning streak. Not only that, but he had finished all six opponents in those UFC contests. He started out 2020 by taking on Kevin Lee (18-6) back in March.

This event was actually the UFC‘s last event before they shut down due to the pandemic. Oliveira impressed again as he was able to score a third round submission victory over Kevin Lee. His seventh straight stoppage win in the lightweight division.

Then, Oliveira got the biggest fight of his career. A co-main event slot against El Cucuy, Tony Ferguson (25-5) at UFC 256. Ferguson was looking to bounce back after he had lost to Justin Gaethje (22-3) back in May.

Oliveira completely dominated the former UFC interim lightweight champion. Had Ferguson not been so tough, Oliveira would have scored another first round stoppage. He locked in a deep armbar that had me tapping from my chair at home.

Instead, Ferguson gutted it out and fought through it. However, Oliveira still dominated every second of the fight to make it eight straight. Last week, Dana White said that the UFC was looking to book Oliveira against Gaethje. Well, Oliveira is not a fan of that.

Do Bronx isn’t down with the UFC’s plan

Oliveira’s manager told MMA Fighting, “With all due respect, Khabib ran over (Gaethje). That must count, and a lot. I believe Charles’ next fight has to be for the belt against the winner of Poirier and McGregor, not Justin Gaethje.”

It was also revealed that Oliveira’s next fight will be the final fight in his UFC contract. However, Oliveira’s manager made it clear that Do Bronx isn’t going anywhere and that they are working towards a new deal with the promotion.

I completely understand where Oliveira is coming from. He’s won eight fights in a row and seven have been stoppages in the toughest division in the sport. However, that still might not matter at the end of the day.

Conor McGregor (22-4) and Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) are fighting at UFC 257. The winner of that fight will be fighting for the lightweight title no matter what in their next fight. Should McGregor win, the UFC is going to push for the rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0).

Khabib is retired, but Dana White is going to try and convince him to fight one more time in the UFC this week. However, even if Khabib stays retired and McGregor wins, Oliveira will likely need to get one more win to get a UFC title shot.

While he’s certainly deserving, the promotion is also going to look at what’s the biggest fight they can make. McGregor – Oliveira doesn’t sell the way McGregor – Gaethje would. That said, I think Oliveira is going to have to settle for the UFC giving him Justin Gaethje.

If Do Bronx runs through Justin Gaethje, there’s no denying him. It’s a very tough position to be in, however, I don’t think he’s going to have another choice.

UFC targeting Justin Gaethje – Charles Oliveira per Dana White

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Last night the UFC President did a live Q&A for fans and subscribers of ESPN+. Dana White fielded a number of questions on a variety of topics surrounding the promotion. A fan asked him about what’s next for Justin Gaethje (22-3).

The former interim lightweight champion is coming off of a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) at UFC 254. Since then, it’s been relatively quiet on what would be next for The Highlight.

The speculation was that Gaethje would be fighting Michael Chandler (21-5) at UFC 257. However, as we’ve recently learned, Dan Hooker (20-9) is going to be tasked with being the first to welcome Chandler to the UFC. 

With those two booked against each other, White said they have an opponent in mind for Gaethje. White said that the UFC is working on Gaethje taking on Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) if all goes as planned.

UFC lightweight showdown

This is the perfect fight to make for the lightweight division. It’s also the fight that makes the most sense given the current landscape of 155. Conor McGregor (22-4) and Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) are headlining UFC 257 in a couple of weeks.

White said that the winner of that fight will be the number one contender. There had been speculation that the fight could be for the UFC lightweight title should Khabib Nurmagomedov completely vacate his title.

However, it appears that it will just be a title eliminator. Should Khabib stay retired, the winner of UFC 257 would likely take on the winner of this proposed matchup between Gaethje and Charles Oliveira.

Prior to the loss to Khabib, Gaethje had won four fights in a row and all of them came by knockout. Charles Oliveira is looking better than ever and he just picked up his eighth straight victory at UFC 256 over Tony Ferguson (25-5).

It appears that the UFC is putting together a little lightweight tournament. White said last week that in a perfect world, Khabib would fight one more time. If that happens, the winner of UFC 257 would get the shot at him.

If that were to happen, the winners of the Gaethje – Oliveira and Chandler – Hooker fights would likely fight. However, I believe that Khabib is likely to stay retired thus the winner of McGregor – Poirier will take on the winner of Gaethje – Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title.

UFC Match Maker: Tony Ferguson – Paul Felder

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Tony Ferguson, UFC

This past Saturday at UFC 256, Tony Ferguson (25-5) was looking to bounce back after his loss to Justin Gaethje earlier this year. El Cucuy was taking on Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) who had been surging heading into UFC 256 with seven straight wins.

I thought Ferguson would get back on track, but it proved to be another rough night for the former UFC interim lightweight champion. Oliveira completely dominated Ferguson and almost broke his arm in the first round.

Ferguson’s loss to Justin Gaethje was hard, but he had his moments in that fight. He was able to drop Justin Gaethje in the second round. However, Ferguson had no real bright spots at UFC 256. It was an extremely one-sided fight.

El Cucuy has now lost two straight while being dominated for most of those two fights. So what is next for Ferguson? Tony Ferguson is still one of the best in the world and his ranking shows that as he’s ranked fourth in the lightweight division.

The two men he’s lost to are two of the best in the world. The UFC is going to give Ferguson a high quality opponent in his next fight. I think I have an idea that works for Ferguson and the promotion.

UFC: Ferguson – Felder

I think that the UFC should pair Tony Ferguson up with Paul Felder (17-6). Like Ferguson, The Irish Dragon is coming off of two straight losses to guys inside the top seven at lightweight.

After Felder lost to Dan Hooker earlier this year, it looked like he wouldn’t fight again. However, he stepped in last minute at UFC Vegas 14 and he found the love for fighting again. He went five hard rounds with Rafael Dos Anjos.

Both Felder and Ferguson are fan favorites. Both are currently ranked inside the UFC‘s top seven and they both need a fight. This would be a tremendous matchup that would be fun, but it would also make sense for the division.

After dominating Tony Ferguson at UFC 256, what’s next for Charles Oliveira?

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This past Saturday evening in the co-main event of UFC 256, Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) took on Tony Ferguson (25-5). Ferguson was looking to bounce back after his last loss while Oliveira was looking to continue his winning streak.

Heading into UFC 256, Oliveira had won seven fights in a row. However, it was the way he won those seven fights which stood out. Oliveira had finished all seven of his opponents leading into UFC 256.

Saturday night was the biggest test in the career of Charles Oliveira. With Oliveira, the questions never surrounded his talent. However, there had been times in his career where he came up short in the big fights.

Granted, a majority of those opportunities happened at featherweight. Oliveira is no longer depleting himself to make 145 pounds. Fighting at lightweight has really allowed Charles Oliveira to reach his prime inside the octagon.

That really showed at UFC 256. Oliveira completely dominated the former interim lightweight champion and nearly finished him in the first round. With the dominant victory, Oliveira made a huge leap in the rankings. 

What’s next after UFC 256?

With his victory at UFC 256, Oliveira went from seventh to third in the lightweight division. The only contenders ranked ahead of him at the moment are Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

Poirier is scheduled to face Conor McGregor at UFC 257. Justin Gaethje is being rumored to face Michael Chandler in the co-main event of that card. Conventional wisdom said the winners of those two fights would face off for the title if Khabib Nurmagomedov stays retired.

If that happens, what’s next for Charles Oliveira? This is a tough question to answer at the moment. On one hand, Oliveira definitely deserves to be in the conversation for the next UFC title shot.

However, if the promotion goes with this four man style tournament, that leaves Oliveira as the odd man out. For the sake of this article, let’s say that the promotion books those four men up at UFC 257.

If the winners come out unscathed, I could see the UFC giving Oliveira the loser of one of the fights. However, if one of the winners is going to be out for some time, the promotion could give Oliveira a title shot against the other winner.

There are a few options for the promotion and their third ranked lightweight. I think no matter what, Oliveira will either be fighting for the title in his next fight or he will be fighting in a title eliminator.