Dustin Poirier is expected to challenge newly-crowned lightweight champ Charles Oliveira next, but ‘The Diamond’ thinks Islam Makhachev is the tougher matchup for him at 155 pounds.
The UFC is trying to market Makhachev as Khabib Nurmagomedov 2.0 and Poirier, who lost to the latter via submission, can see why given both fighters share an eerily similar fighting style with a background in sambo wrestling.
“For a few years now, I think 155 has been one of, if not the toughest, division in the UFC,” Poirier told UFC correspondent Laura Sanko in an ESPN Q&A session (h/t MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun).