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Dustin Poirier had no demands for his upcoming UFC 302 title shot next month (Sat., June 1, 2024).

Islam Makhachev has his next Lightweight title defense lined up and “The Diamond” will look to score the massive upset. After all the contenders sorted things out amongst each other from UFC 299 to UFC 300, the most readily available was left to face the champion, and that was Poirier.

Although he wound up as the next man up, Poirier wasn’t the first option. The promotion gave Arman Tsarukyan the chance to challenge for gold immediately after his split decision win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 last month (April 13, 2024). Ultimately, the No. 1-ranked contender passed on the opportunity, opening the door for Poirier.

“[UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell] started texting me Saturday of 300,” Poirier said on The MMA Hour. “He actually called me and said — I mean as soon as Arman beat Charles — he called me, ‘The fight just ended. I’m walking to the locker room right now.’ I was doing a viewing party up in Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun and he’s on the phone saying, ‘I’ll call you back. Give me like one hour. I’ll call you or text you and let you know.’ He went in Arman’s locker room and said, ‘Hey, you’re next. The fight, you know when it is.’

“I understand too from Arman’s side, bro,” he continued. “You just do an eight-week training camp. You go out there and fight, you win. You haven’t even had a chance to process everything and you’re in the locker room taking off your shorts and gloves and cup, and your boss comes in and says, ‘Hey, you ready to go again in six weeks?’ Five weeks, whatever it was at the time. You have to jump back in training camp. Your body’s kind of beat up, and you’re guaranteed the next title shot. I understand that. He’s next in line regardless.”

As training partners at American Top Team (ATT) in Florida, there’s a possibility for Poirier and Tsarukyan to collide following a Poirier title win. Even though one thing led to another on the night of UFC 300, Poirier noted that the two interacted earlier in the day (Mon., May 6, 2024) for the first time since the decisions were made. It was brief but not hostile, said Poirier.

The upcoming title fight will be Poirier’s third at undisputed gold in UFC. A unanimous decision over Max Holloway in their rematch at UFC 236 led Poirier to interim gold in April 2019. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t culminate in the big one when he fell short against Khabib Nurmagomedov later that year. At age 35, Poirier is treating this like his last possible chance at hearing “and new.”

“I was just in a position where I felt I can’t say no,” Poirier said.

“That wasn’t a full notice for me as well, but I’m not in a position to say, ‘Hey, I want eight weeks,’” he added. “I gotta jump on this thing and try to win this thing. This was it on my end. Okay, see you in New Jersey. Boom. Let’s go to work.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

If Jose Aldo cuts the line to a UFC title shot, the odds won’t be in his favor.

Aldo opened as a sizable betting underdog to UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley for a potential matchup in odds released Monday by internet bookmaker BetOnline. The former two-time featherweight champion is listed as a +210 underdog, meaning a $ 100 bet on Aldo would return $ 210 if he pulled off the upset, while O’Malley sits as a -250 favorite.

Aldo, 37, returned from a near two-year MMA retirement this past Saturday with a vintage win over Jonathan Martinez in UFC 301’s co-main event, earning a sweep on the scorecards for a unanimous decision in his native Brazil. Aldo is now an MMA free agent but expressed a desire to challenge O’Malley for the bantamweight title if he re-signs with the UFC.

Aldo’s successful comeback reinserted him back into the upper echelon of MMA Fighting’s global bantamweight ranks, with Aldo debuting back at No. 6 on Monday’s update.

O’Malley, 29, is currently expected to defend his UFC bantamweight title next against top contender Merab Dvalishvili sometime this year. O’Malley remains a betting underdog (+185) in the potential fight against Dvalishvili (-220), but stands as a bigger underdog (+245) in a potential champion vs. champion match against UFC featherweight king Ilia Topuria (-285).

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Conor McGregor is ready to show ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler that there are levels to the fight game. More importantly, the Irishman wants to make it clear that the former Bellator MMA champion is nowhere near his.

After nearly three years on the shelf following a devastating leg injury in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, McGregor will return to the Octagon on Saturday, June 29 for a main event clash with Chandler as part of this year’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas.

With their highly anticipated clash less than two months away, you can expect the trash talk between McGregor and Chandler to start picking up. Mystic Mac’ got things rolling on Monday, stating that at UFC 303, he will show the world what it looks like to compete at the “very top” level.

“There is levels and in 7 weeks and 5 days you are gonna see the very, very top level,” McGregor wrote on X. “This next run is for the Clan!”

He quickly followed up that post with another specifically targeting his first opponent since July 2021.

“NOT ON MY LEVEL, NOT EVEN CLOSE,” McGregor added.

Can Conor McGregor recapture his past glory inside the octagon?

Conor McGregor’s rise up the featherweight ranks was truly a sight to behold. Going through a slew of tough competition, including Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, and Chad Mendes, the Irishman delivered a highlight that will stand the test of time when he KO’d 145-pound GOAT Jose Aldo a mere 13 seconds into their UFC 194 headliner.

Less than a year later, he finished Eddie Alvarez in round two to win the lightweight title, becoming the UFC’s first-ever simultaneous two-division champion.

Unfortunately, McGregor’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune has already taken much of the blame for his abrupt downfall inside the Octagon. After cashing in his chips to secure a crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017, McGregor has only won one fight since his title-winning performance against Alvarez at UFC 205.

Of course, McGregor is doing just fine away from the fight game. Earlier this year he starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in a remake of the 1989 action classic Road House which turned out to be a massive hit for Amazon Studios.

McGregor also became a part owner in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, adding yet another massive enterprise to his growing portfolio.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Dustin Poirier believes Islam Makhachev could be underestimating him.

In June, Poirier challenges Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title in the main event of UFC 302 in Newark, N.J. It was a somewhat surprising opportunity for Poirier, as “The Diamond” was knocked out by Justin Gaethje less than a year ago, but when Makhachev’s other obvious contenders all were unable to make a quick turnaround to fight in June after UFC 300, Poirier got the nod, as he explained on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.

“The main event was already over with when I got the word back from [UFC executive Hunter Campbell],” Poirier said. “But as soon as that fight [between Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira] ended, he called me and said, ‘Hey, I’m walking back there right now. I’ll let you know soon. You might be up next.’ I’m like, ‘Oh shit!’ My heart is pumping, I’m sweating, I’m around a bunch of fans. I’m like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’ And I went back to my room with my wife and my niece, and then waited for the call — and it came through.

“So I flew from there to Lafayette, Louisiana, the next day, packed my bags and flew straight to training camp. Because that wasn’t full notice for me as well, but I’m not in a position to say, ‘Hey, I want eight weeks.’ I’ve got to jump on this thing and try to win this thing.”

Standing in Poirier’s way is the current No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world in Makhachev. A protege of lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev successfully defended his belt twice in 2023, both times against fellow top pound-for-pound fighter and then-featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev has not lost in almost nine years.

That appears to have given the champion plenty of confidence, as he recently declared that Poirier would be an “easy” fight for him. But the pride of Lafayette says Makhachev is in for a rude awakening.

“I kind of feel like some of the stuff he says, he might not [respect me],” Poirier said. “But I’m going to put my hands on this guy. I’m coming in there to hurt him. This is my last shot. Mom’s spaghetti. Let’s go.

“I haven’t been keeping up a whole lot but when I was at the gym, Mike Brown told me, ‘Man, I think this guy may be underestimating your jiu-jitsu and underestimating how dangerous you are.’ I think what he was referring to was an interview with Islam saying, ‘This is an easy fight for me.’ I was tagged in a bunch of stuff on Instagram and Twitter of him saying that. And I don’t know, maybe he goes about all fights like that, but I can finish and beat anybody at 155 pounds in the world. I really believe that. And he doesn’t have to believe it. I’m the one who has to believe it and go out there and beat his ass. I can do that.”

Poirier is a former interim lightweight champion and has already challenged for the lightweight title twice before, getting submitted by both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. The Oliveira fight seemed like it might be the last chance Poirier would ever get to fulfill his “Paid in Full” motto, but fortune smiled upon him one last time, and Poirier is treating this title shot as exactly that: One final opportunity, 25 minutes to make the world fair and to realize all his dreams.

“I don’t think I’m going to be around to get another shot,” Poirier said. “That being said, I’m not putting the pressure onto myself to where it’s shaking me. It just is what it is. I’m a realist. I try to be optimistic and keep the best mindset, but I understand what it is. I’m 35. The division has to move on at some point, but I’m trying to finish this thing. The reason that I put a pair of gloves on at 17 years old was to say I’m the best in the world, and June 1st, I plan to do it.

“My daughter is going to be there front row for the first time ever. I want to show her that you can accomplish your dreams. This is a big deal to me. It’s more than fighting. Like I said before, what I’m fighting for is worth more than silver and gold. It’s my life, to have this feather in my cap — if it is the last one, to walk away from this sport content. I just want to go through life content. And winning isn’t guaranteed. Of course. I’m fighting the No. 1 pound-for-pound guy, but I’m putting myself in position physically, mentally, to be in the best position I can be and make this a reality. It is what it is. Dream chasing. Story of my life.”

UFC 302 takes place on June 1 at the Prudential Center.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Tom Aspinall is starting to lose hope that he’ll ever fight Jon Jones.

This past November, Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 to claim the interim heavyweight title. Normally, becoming interim champion would get you a guaranteed shot at the undisputed champion, but this time around there’s a problem: That champion is Jon Jones.

Jones is currently recovering from injury, and when he returns, will defend his undisputed title against former champion Stipe Miocic, despite the fact that Miocic has not fought in three years and has not won a fight in four years. Aspinall would of course like to fight the winner of that bout, but Jones has been pointedly uncommitted to the matchup. Then last week things took an even worse turn for Aspinall when Jones flat-out said he’d prefer to fight light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

All in all, an undisputed title shot isn’t looking all that likely for Aspinall, who lamented the situation when asked about it by TNT Sports recently.

“If we can get old mate Jon to ever sign a contract with my name on the other side of the contract, I’ll talk about him for hours on this show,” Aspinall said. “Hours. But right now, the guy is playing games again. Trying to convince the public what he wants and what he doesn’t want. Which he does really, really well. As I said, we can chat about Jon, if and when he ever signs a contract with my name on the other side of it. Because right now, let’s be honest, it’s not looking very likely.”

Instead, Aspinall will likely compete at UFC 304, which takes place on July 27 in Manchester, England. Aspinall certainly thinks so, and though he still does not have an opponent scheduled, Aspinall is prepared to put his interim belt on the line against whoever the UFC chooses.

“The last I knew, it was going to get announced this weekend [at UFC 301], and obviously that’s been and gone now,” Aspinall said when asked about UFC 304.

“Right now, I have no idea what’s going on. I wish I could come on the show, I wish I could announce on social media, I wish I could start dragging traffic that way, but right now I have no idea. I’m just getting myself prepared for that date. As far as opponents and stuff like that, I don’t know what’s going on right now.”

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Let’s go!
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