At UFC 281, Dustin Poirier and Mike Chandler put on one of the most memorable fights and the real show we’ve come to expect from both fighters.
In the third round of a bloody and spectacular fight, Dustin Poirier managed to defeat Michael Chandler with a choke, making his comeback from a title fight loss to Charles Oliveira.
With Poirier’s victory, the situation in the lightweight TOP 5 became quite tense. . Although the new lightweight champion Islam Makhachev’s next opponent is the featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, the lightweight contenders are waiting for their chance.
We can suggest that a possible future opponent for Dustin Poirier will be number 4 Beneil Dariush, who defeated Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, although it is possible that Poirier will also face number 3 Justin Gaethje in a rematch.
It is worth noting that Azerbaijan’s Rafael Fiziev, who is number 6 and who has been one of the talents of the division in recent years, is waiting for his chance to compete. Fiziev’s next opponent might be Justin Gaethje, which is becoming more and more real.
Much will also be revealed in the fight between #9 Arman Tsarukyan and #12 Damir Ismagulov, where two outstanding lightweight fighters will clash for the ticket to the title fight. This battle will take place on December 18.
As always, the elite lightweight division does not lose its relevance and in 2023 we should expect very, very interesting fights!
