Dustin Poirier wants to be an undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion before he calls it a career.
UFC 299 was yet another memorable night in the always-entertaining career of the elite Lightweight veteran, Poirier. Tasked with surging French contender, Benoit Saint Denis, Poirier walked through the fire and came out on top via a vintage second round knockout (watch highlights) this past weekend (March 9, 2024).
The win got Poirier back in the win column after a tough second round knockout loss of his own against Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 in July 2023 (watch highlights). Despite it only being a one-fight winning “streak,” Poirier has caught the attention of the Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, for a potential collision in June 2024.
“I do think it could happen,” Poirier said on The MMA Hour. “I really believed that I was one big win away. One good finish. It doesn’t matter the opponent. I just need to look good. Just with my career in the UFC and how many times I’ve beaten top guys and stuff, I always feel like I’m one big win away from it at any time in my career — at least the last few years.
“I didn’t take any damage in this fight,” he continued. “Yeah, I’d be okay with June. I actually went into this fight with a couple injuries from camp. My ribs — f—king [Mateusz] Gamrot f—ked busted my ribs up like, almost three weeks ago, and it’s been bothering me really bad ever since.
“No, [June wouldn’t be a problem],” Poirier concluded.
A title fight next would be Poirier’s third crack at undisputed gold after failed bids opposite Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira in September 2019 and December 2021. Timing could ultimately line up perfectly for Poirier to get his shot as Makhachev wants to defend sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, the other top contenders at 155 pounds will be sorted at UFC 300 with Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan next month (Sat., April 13, 2024).
For complete UFC 299 results and play-by-play, click HERE.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
