A Dustin Poirier move up to welterweight may be closer than we think. Following Poirier's second-round knockout defeat to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 last month, there were calls for “The Diamond” to finally make the move up to 170 pounds and with good reason. He had regularly spoken of his struggles in making the 155-pound limit as he got older and with his latest defeat to Gaethje, it might be some time before he gets a potential third and final shot at the lightweight title. Poirier himself would hint at moving up earlier this month which begs the question — who could he face first?
Ok I'll move up
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) August 6, 2023
Colby Covington is getting ready to challenge current champion Leon Edwards for the strap at UFC 295 in November. Poirier is a big enough name where he could get a title shot off one win in the welterweight division. And so, here are three opponents that make sense to welcome Dustin Poirier to 170 pounds.
Belal Muhammad
Perhaps the option that makes the most sense is Belal Muhammad. Muhammad is undefeated in his last 10 fights and seems virtually guaranteed to fight for the title next. However, given his already impressive unbeaten streak, he could have gotten a title shot well before as well only to be pushed to the side. Would it really surprise us if it happened again?
Perhaps the UFC could book Belal Muhammad vs. Dustin Poirier in a title eliminator fight with the winner going on to face the UFC 295 winner. Muhammad probably wouldn't complain either as it's a chance to further solidify his run and add a massive name to his resume. Not to mention, there will be plenty of eyeballs on the fight and a win would definitely all but guarantee him the next shot. Basically, he can't be denied any longer.
It wouldn't be an easy matchup for Poirier by any means as while he's the better striker, Muhammad has made huge strides in his all-round game and would likely look for the takedown in an attempt to outwrestle him. However, that's something Poirier will need and should be prepared for, especially in such a wrestle-heavy division.
Gilbert Burns
One exciting fight could be with former title challenger Gilbert Burns. Like Poirier, Burns is coming off a loss after getting outpointed by Muhammad at UFC 288 back in May. It was not his best performance, but it was also his third fight in five months. A shoulder injury suffered during the fight didn't help matters at all, but the good news is “Durinho” didn't require any surgery. There's no word on when he could return, but an early 2024 fight with Poirier seems possible and could turn out to be fireworks.
While Burns is a jiu-jitsu black belt as well as a great wrestler, he's also more than down to strike and go for the knockout. Against someone of Poirier's boxing ability, he's more than likely to mix things up, but Poirier is no slouch on the ground either, so it should be a fascinating matchup. It's also a matchup Burns called for earlier this year to which Poirier even responded. However, he wasn't in fight shape at the time. Perhaps the stars will align for them to fight next year?
Respect Gilbert đź‘Š I can make 170 no problem, I'm not really in fight shape but đź’° talks
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) April 17, 2023
Vicente Luque
One interesting option further down the welterweight rankings is Vicente Luque. Luque is ranked No. 10 and recently returned to the win column following a unanimous decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC Vegas 78 headliner this past weekend. It was an uncharacteristic and conservative performance from Luque as he depended on his wrestling over five rounds, but it's also understandable given that he came back after his first knockout loss a year ago that notably resulted in a brain bleed.
That said, it's hard to see him continue down that route as most of his success has come from his brawling. That would be even more so the case if he ended up fighting Poirier. Poirier is regarded as one of the best all-action brawlers in the UFC so a fight between the pair is guaranteed to have plenty of chaos and potentially be a Fight of the Year contender.
There would certainly be doubts as to whether Poirier would take such a fight given that Luque is not that much a big name nor is he high up in the rankings. But perhaps the Brazilian's fighting style could fire him up for a potential matchup. Luque is also more than open to the idea of welcoming Poirier to the welterweight division.
Follow Us
Subscribe