Dustin Poirier is considering future fights with either Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway, following Topuria’s knockout victory over Holloway at UFC 308, and expressed his interest in these matchups on social media.
Dustin Poirier was glued to UFC 308, and the electrifying event sparked some ideas for his next bout. He’s got his eyes set on featherweight champ Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway. This revelation came via social media right after Saturday’s UFC spectacle in Abu Dhabi.
Topuria wowed everyone by defending his title with a jaw-dropping third-round knockout of Holloway. Notably, he became the first fighter to finish Holloway via strikes. Afterward, he hinted at a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski, who was there to congratulate him.
However, Topuria has plans to move up to lightweight, and Poirier wants in on that action. “I want Max or Topuria,” Poirier declared online. He even threw in, “He’s a great boxer, let’s throw them things,” presumably still talking about Topuria.
Poirier hasn’t forgotten about Holloway either. They’ve clashed twice before, and Poirier triumphed both times. Their first encounter at UFC 143 in 2012 saw Poirier secure a first-round submission win when Holloway was just starting out.
Fast forward seven years to UFC 236, and they met again for an interim lightweight title. Once more, Poirier emerged victorious, winning a unanimous decision in one of 2019’s standout fights.
Recently, Poirier faced a setback with a fifth-round submission loss to Islam Makhachev, the lightweight champion. Despite this, he’s exploring options to stay prominent in the fight game and keep his name near the top of the marquee.