Ariel Helwani reported in an episode of The MMA Hour on Sunday that Dustin Poirier (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) would face Michael Chandler (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC) at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 12.
“Multiple sources are telling me that the highly-anticipated, much-discussed grudge match between one Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler is close to being finalized for that return card at MSG in November,” Helwani said.
“I do believe on the 12th if memory serves me correct. And so it is close and likely for that card. Not quite a done deal just yet but it would be UFC 281.”
Poirier and Chandler are known as brutal strikers who hit hard and like to put their opponents under pressure. Poirier has a 28-7-1 record and is the fan favorite to win the championship. Meanwhile, the rising star Chandler enters with a 23-7-0 record.
About Dustin ‘the Diamond’ Poirier
Since joining the UFC at the end of 2020, Chandler, a former multi-time Bellator lightweight champion, has demanded a fight with Poirier. The former UFC interim 155-pound fighter, however, always shrugged it off.
The 33-year-old Poirier earlier lost to then-lightweight champion king Charles Oliveira by submission in the second round, ending a three-fight winning streak that included victories over superstar Conor McGregor.
The Diamond traded public insults with Chandler on social media before the two nearly collided in person at UFC 276 in Las Vegas, Nevada, last July.
Poirier said on The Fight with Teddy Atlas podcast in June that based on recent results, he would be a difficult matchup for Chandler.
“I’m a dangerous fight for him. I think I’m a clean puncher, accurate,” Poirier said. “He called out Conor [McGregor], think Conor is a dangerous fight for him, too. I’m not saying Chandler’s chinny or anything, but he gets hurt in a lot of his fights, and guys like Conor, they can punch.
“If you’re getting hurt by Tony Ferguson and dropped by [Charles] Oliveira, guys like me, guys like Conor, if we touch your chin, it’s gonna be bad.”
Poirier has been working hard to book his next fight. He was briefly linked to a megafight against fan favorite Nate Diaz. They were paired up for UFC 230 in November 2018, but the fight was canceled after Poirier was forced to withdraw due to a hip injury.
About Michael ‘the Iron’ Chandler
Chandler is coming off a potential Knockout of the Year after his front kick knocked out Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 in May. The finish earned Chandler a Performance of the Night bonus and put him back in the winner’s circle after his fight with Justin Gaethje in the 2021 Fight of the Year.
“As of right now, me and Poirier are the only guys that are not matched up inside the top five,” Chandler said on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 208. “There’s no secret Dustin Poirier and I have been on a collision course to stepping inside the octagon.”
Chandler admitted to MMA Fighting on Tuesday that he did not know why there was so much bad blood between him and Poirier. Chandler insisted that Poirier was “very, very thirsty for a fight”.
Besides Poirier and Chandler’s fight, there are also speculations that UFC 281 will feature a fight between Jorge Masvidal vs. Gilbert Burns.