Conor McGregor

UFC: Justin Gaethje down to fight ‘Cringey’ Michael Chandler

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Ever since UFC 258 concluded, the lightweight division has been in the news non-stop. We have fighters calling each other out and some fighters saying others are not worthy of certain fights. Several potential matchups materializing in front of our eyes.

At UFC 258, Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) knocked out Conor McGregor (22-5) and proved to the world that he’s the best lightweight not named Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0). Khabib is the current lightweight champion, although he’s maintained that he’s been retired since UFC 254.

Before Poirier knocked out McGregor, Michael Chandler (22-5) made his debut with the UFC in the co-main event. Chandler knocked out Dan Hooker (20-10) with a massive left hook and a few follow up shots.

While all of this is unfolding, the former interim UFC lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje (22-3), has been sitting back waiting for his next move. Gaethje said the UFC attempted to call him before the PPV, but he wanted to see how things shook out.

Back in October, Gaethje failed in his attempt to become UFC lightweight champion. He as choked out by Khabib, but despite the loss, he remains the second ranked contender in the lightweight division.

Gaethje has not been calling for a title shot, instead, he’s been calling for any fight. He believes that he needs to get a win before he gets his next UFC title shot. There are several names Gaethje is thinking about next.

UFC’s options for Justin Gaethje

Before UFC 258, Dana White had said that the promotion was going to work on Gaethje – Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). However, that fight has not materialized and Oliveira has turned down fights since then due to his desire to fight for the title. 

Last week, Gaethje said that he would ‘Smoke‘ Nate Diaz (20-12) if the UFC would give him that opportunity. Of course, he’s also talked about his desire to fight Conor McGregor. However, Gaethje has maintained that McGregor doesn’t want to fight him.

There does seem to be one perfect match for Gaethje and that is Michael Chandler. Gaethje said he respects Chandler but finds him cringey and Chandler told ESPN this week that he believes that him and Gaethje are on a collision course. A fight between the two men could materialize quickly.

Yesterday, Gaethje’s manager told ESPN that Gaethje is very much open to fighting Michael Chandler. It seems like the perfect fight to make for the UFC is pairing up Chandler and Justin Gaethje. Both men want the fight and it would create some much needed clarity at 155.

UFC attempted to make Chandler – Oliveira; Oliveira turned it down

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The UFC lightweight division is in a very unique spot at the moment. It’s the most exciting division in the promotion, however, there is a lot of cloudiness surrounding the top of the division. Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) has said he’s retired, yet he’s still the UFC champion.

Back at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) knocked out Conor McGregor (22-5) in the main event. In retrospect, that fight should have been for the vacant lightweight title with the assumption that Khabib is staying retired.

In the co-main event of the evening, Michael Chandler (22-5) knocked out Dan Hooker (20-10) in the first round. The win was a huge statement in the UFC debut of Michael Chandler. Chandler had spent virtually his entire career with Bellator to that point.

After the fights, Dana White said that the UFC was going to have to figure out what to do with the division. Obviously, Dustin Poirier would be fighting for the title next, but the promotion didn’t know who that would be against.

Poirier only seemed interested in McGregor, Nate Diaz (20-12), or Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Meanwhile, Dana White seemed more interested in having Chandler fight Poirier for the lightweight title. This is an idea that Poirier was not a fan of because he felt Chandler hadn’t earned a shot in the UFC.

UFC attempted to book Chandler – Oliveira

Last week we learned that the co-main event of UFC 258 between Chris Weidman and Uriah Hall fell through. Also around the same time, Michael Chandler posted on his Instagram that he was Dana White’s new “Yes Man” which left people wondering what was going on.

Well, according to a report from AG Fight, Chandler was offered the co-main event slot at UFC 258. His opponent would have been none other than Charles Oliveira. This goes along with what Chandler told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani this week.

This is a matchup that would’ve provided a great deal of clarity in the lightweight division. However, Oliveira turned down the fight according to the report citing his desire to fight for the title next.

Granted, there might have been other reasons behind the decision, but nevertheless, Oliveira turned down the fight with Michael Chandler. If he couldn’t get ready in time, I completely understand. However, if this was a move out of principle, I really don’t agree with the move.

Charles Oliveira’s eight-fight win streak is incredible. It’s enough to warrant a title shot, however, as I put in my article yesterday, the UFC is not going to give him the next shot. At least, I would be extremely surprised if they do.

That said, this could have been a golden chance for Oliveira to force their hand. Had Oliveira fought and defeated the new company man, the UFC would have nothing left other than offering him a title shot. Time will tell if this was a smart decision or not, but as of now, I really don’t agree with it.

The case for and against Charles Oliveira getting the next UFC title shot

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The UFC‘s lightweight division is in a very unique spot. There’s still not really clarity at the top of the division with the undisputed champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0), seemingly retired. Yet, he still holds on to the title.

Just over a week ago at UFC 257, we saw Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) knock out Conor McGregor (22-5). In retrospect, this fight should have been for the vacant UFC lightweight title if Khabib is truly retired. However, Dana White has held out stripping Khabib in hoping he’ll come back.

In all likelihood, Khabib is not going to return to the UFC. At least, he’s not going to return anytime soon. With that, there’s no doubting that the top guy in the UFC is currently Dustin Poirier. You could consider him the uncrowned champion at this point.

After his win at UFC 257, Poirier said that he was only interested in a few opponents for his next fight. Keep in mind that his next fight should be for the lightweight title. Poirier said that he would fighter McGregor, Nate Diaz (20-12), or Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC).

The hardcore fans are very much behind Oliveira getting the title shot. However, we know that the UFC is a business and sometimes the best business decision outweighs the fair decision. With that, should Charles Oliveira be the next in line for the title?

Case For Oliveira’s title shot

The easy thing to say here is that of course Oliveira deserves a title shot in his next fight. He’s currently on an eight-fight win streak where he’s finished seven opponents. In the UFC’s lightweight division, that’s almost unheard of.

Oliveira last competed at UFC 256 when he took on former interim champion, Tony Ferguson (25-5). Oliveira completely dominated Tony Ferguson over three rounds and came extremely close to finishing him in the first round.

After the fight, Oliveira said that he wanted the Poirier – McGregor winner for the title. After Poirier’s win at UFC 257, he also seems on board with fighting Do Bronx for the lightweight championship. However, is the UFC going to do that?

Oliveira has been sensational, however, during this eight-fight winning streak, he only has one top ten win. He submitted Kevin Lee and defeated Tony Ferguson, however, Ferguson’s stock had dropped after the beating he took from Justin Gaethje (22-3).

Why the UFC will likely say no

While Oliveira has looked sensational, he still doesn’t have that much general/casual steam behind him. There’s not an outcry from the public to see him fight Dustin Poirier for the title. While the MMA purest would love to see him fight for the title, it wouldn’t be the best business decision.

For Oliveira to get a title shot and it make sense on all fronts, he needs another big win. He needs to defeat someone else who has a big following in the UFC. If Oliveira can beat a guy like Gaethje or Michael Chandler (22-5) next, I think it would put him over the top.

I’m honestly torn on Charles Oliveira getting the next shot. I get it, he’s won eight in a row. However, only one of those wins was considered to come against the division’s elite. That combined with the lack of drawing power makes me hesitant to throw him in there against Poirier.

Anything can happen, but I would be pretty surprised if Oliveira gets the next UFC title shot. At the end of the day, you have to check the boxes of big business and resume. At the moment, Oliveira only checks the resume which is why I think he ultimately will not get the next shot.

Dan Hooker wants to be in sync with his team before his next UFC fight

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It’s been a little over a week since the lightweight showcase at UFC 257. Of course there was all the attention in the world on the main event, but the co-main event was so intriguing to fight fans and incredibly important for the lightweight division.

Michael Chandler (22-5) was making his UFC debut and he wasn’t getting a layup. The promotion gave Chandler, Dan Hooker (20-10) for his first fight. Don’t let the record fool you, Hooker is one of the best lightweights in the world.

Hooker struggled early on in his UFC career because he was killing himself to make featherweight. However, when he made the jump to lightweight, he’s shown he’s one of the very best in the world.

Prior to UFC 257, Hooker was 7-2 at lightweight and held wins over Gilbert Burns, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder. Hooker was coming off of a loss to Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC), but the fight was razor close. Had Hooker won that fight, he might’ve been the one fighting Conor McGregor (22-5).

Nevertheless, Hooker was tasked with welcoming Michael Chandler and it didn’t go as planned for Hooker. Hooker really never got a chance to get going as he was caught with a massive left hook that put him down in the first.

It was the first time Hooker had lost by TKO when the shots were to the head. A frustrated Hooker threw down his UFC gloves after the fight and many wondered if he was done. However, he recently told Submission Radio that he’s not done fighting and laid out his future timeline.

UFC return for Dan Hooker

On throwing his gloves, Hooker said, “Yeah, you’re always frustrated after a loss. In that moment, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m done, I’m finished with this sh*tty sport!’ Then you get back to the hotel and realize you’re not good at anything else.”

Hooker had a great attitude and was laughing about what happened at UFC 257. The top lightweight contender seemed to be taking it in stride knowing that losses are just a part of the game.

When asked about his UFC return, Hooker said that he’d like to get synced back up with his team. Normally, his team at City Kickboxing is all training together for a fight. However, everyone has had different schedules and because of that, Hooker didn’t even have his head coach at UFC 257.

“I get pretty jealous watching all the boys on the same card or roughly fighting around the same time. (After) They bang out these fights in March then they’ll look to get back in there two or three months later, it’ll be cool to get back in sync with them,” Hooker said.

With that, it appears that Hooker is targeting a late spring or early summer UFC return. I’m so glad to see Dan Hooker being so positive after UFC 257. He’s still one of the best in the world and I’m looking forward to seeing who the promotion matches him up with next.

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.

UFC: Justin Gaethje says he would ‘smoke’ Nate Diaz

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Justin Gaethje (22-3) had his eyes on the TV Saturday night watching UFC 257. The PPV was a huge night for the lightweight division and in the main event we saw the rematch between Conor McGregor (22-5) and Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC).

In the co-main event of UFC 257, we saw Michael Chandler (22-5) make his debut against Dan Hooker (20-10). With incredible performances, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler both scored knockout victories on Saturday night.

Watching the action got Justin Gaethje excited for his return. The former interim UFC lightweight champion has been waiting for last Saturday before thinking about what he wants to do next.

Gaethje sat down with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto this week and talked about everything that’s been going on with him. He said that the UFC had approached him last week about his next fight, but he wanted to see how UFC 257 shook out.

Now that he’s seen the action, Gaethje is ready to go. Gaethje said that he would fight anyone who is a top contender in the division and he knows it will take a win to get another title shot.

The Highlight made it clear that he wants a top three guy in his next fight, but he will make an exception. That would be for the one and only Nate Diaz (20-12). On a potential UFC bout with Diaz, Gaethje said he would happily accept it.

Will the UFC book Diaz – Gaethje?

“If they call me to fight Nate Diaz, I’m fighting Nate Diaz. I will roll him up and smoke him like a blunt. I can out smoke Nate Diaz any day of the week. It’s not something I’m proud of, but he thinks he’s Mr. 420. I’d roll him up and smoke him,” Gaethje told Okamoto.

I’m not going to lie, I think all UFC fans would be pumped for a potential matchup between Gaethje and Nate Diaz. When the UFC was talking about Diaz’s lightweight return, I figured Gaethje was a name that they were discussing.

However, Gaethje said that there’s been no talks on that fight yet. The UFC’s lightweight division is so exciting right now and Justin Gaethje – Nate Diaz might be one of the most fun matchups that could be made. It’ll be interesting to watch this one play out.

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.

UFC 257 fallout: Did Conor McGregor lose his killer instinct?

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Conor McGregor, UFC

This past Saturday at UFC 257, the world got to see the highly anticipated rematch between Conor McGregor (22-5) and Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC). The two had fought in 2014 and McGregor won by first round knockout.

This fight was drastically different. While McGregor did have success, Poirier’s improved durability and overall skills really showed. In the second round, Poirier was able to put together a massive string of shots and put McGregor away to even the score.

After UFC 257, I’ve heard some people talk about McGregor’s killer instinct in the cage. There’s been a narrative that McGregor didn’t have that dog in him when he was fighting Poirier and that is one of the reasons he lost.

Josh Thomson was the first to mention it on his podcast, Weighing In, with Big John McCarthy. Thomson said that when you’re at the stage of happiness that McGregor is at, it’s hard to have that killer in you like you do when you’re on the come up.

When McGregor first came on the scene in the UFC, he had nothing to his name. He was on welfare and he briefly worked as a plumber. McGregor was just a kid who wanted the world and that’s what he got. He achieved everything he’s ever wanted in this game.

What happened at UFC 257?

Heading into UFC 257, I don’t think we’ve ever seen a more dedicated version of McGregor from a training perspective. He looked to be in incredible shape and you could tell he was fully prepared for the fight.

In the first round, the former two-division UFC champion saw some success. He landed some very big shots on Dustin Poirier and all three judges gave the first round to McGregor. Poirier admitted that McGregor hurt him with shots on the feet, but McGregor didn’t press forward.

I’ve rewatched the fight probably ten times at this point. There were three times where I could see McGregor hurt Poirier at UFC 257. Twice in the first round and once to open the second round.

When McGregor hurt Poirier, he didn’t press forward at all looking for a finish. It was almost as if he was point fighting or going through the motions as if you were sparring. There was no urgency to finish the fight at UFC 257. Now, maybe some of that had to do with the questions around his cardio.

While McGregor was landing cleaner shots on the feet, Poirier was chipping away at McGregor’s lead leg. Eventually that damage added up and aided Poirier in securing the second round finish.

I can see where Thomson is coming from as well as other media pundits who’ve said McGregor’s lost that edge. Some fighter’s need that edge to perform at their absolute best. Maybe McGregor is one of those guys.

I think we will really get our answer in McGregor’s next UFC fight. There were a lot of things that went into that loss, but I think the main credit is with Dustin Poirier. Now if Conor McGregor comes back in May/June and starches his next opponent, you’ll hear crickets from the critics. Time will tell on this one.

Jake Paul’s next boxing match will be against Ben Askren

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Well, Jake Paul (2-0) has his next boxing match set. Paul has been calling out MMA fighters and challenging them to box and it looks like he’s found a willing competitor. Per ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Paul will be boxing Ben Askren (19-2, 1 NC in MMA).

The boxing match will take place on April 17th. The match will actually go head-to-head with a UFC fight night that is being headlined by a middleweight clash between Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker. 

Jake Paul has been saying for the last couple of months that he wanted a boxing match with an MMA fighter. He’s been very vocal about his desire to take on the former UFC two-division champion, Conor McGregor.

However, discussions with the McGregor camp were never serious. McGregor just competed and lost to Dustin Poirier last Saturday at UFC 257. McGregor seems to be putting boxing on the backburner for now to focus on MMA.

However, Ben Askren is willing to jump in there to represent MMA. The former world champion mixed martial artist has been retired for the last year and a half after losing to Demian Maia back in October of 2019.

MMA vs Boxing?

There were plenty of MMA fighters that were vocal about their desire to step into the boxing ring with Jake Paul. Michael Bisping being one of those fighters, however, it’s Askren that will make the walk on April 17th.

I have to say, this is the easiest fight Paul could have taken against an MMA fighter. Ben Askren is not a good striker at all. Or at least he’s never shown the ability to be a good striker in a MMA fight.

Askren is known for his incredible wrestling and his strength. Those are not going to be tools he can use in a boxing match with Jake Paul. I would have to imagine that Paul would be the better favorite when the two meet up in April.

Again, Jake Paul has been calling out MMA fighters, but he hasn’t fought anyone yet. His two boxing wins are against another YouTube celebrity and a former NBA player. Askren is his toughest test yet, but it’s still not that great of a test. Should be an interesting match when the two meet up.

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.