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For up-and-coming fighters in MMA, the driving drive that retains them hitting the gymnasium is the prospect of successful gold and being acknowledged as the most effective of their division.
However as time passes by, mindsets can change. Showing in headline-making bouts, and earning money from what’s a brief profession, can usually turn into the guiding mild.
That helps to clarify why Dustin Poirier might but eschew a shot at UFC light-weight champion Islam Makhachev this summer time, and as an alternative focus his crosshairs on a scrap with certainly one of two fighters he has had beef with earlier than… Michael Chandler or Conor McGregor.
Pooping the Get together
Though not confirmed, it’s thought that Chandler and McGregor have some form of settlement on the desk for a battle in June.
The Paddy Power sports betting odds make the Irishman a slender -125 favourite for the proposed bout, with Chandler a +100 decide. These traces, in fact, are made with out affirmation that McGregor is in prime form after breaking his leg within the Octagon three years in the past.
As such, many betting tips columns would maybe favor Chandler, who himself has been inactive within the UFC since shedding to Poirier in November 2022.
Dustin Poirier submits Michael Chandler within the third spherical in one of many best fights of 2022 🔥🔥🔥#UFC281 pic.twitter.com/LgAK54fBfu
— UFC on TNT Sports activities (@ufcontnt) November 13, 2022
It’s a battle that may disappoint followers of McGregor and MMA basically, who count on the showman to tackle box-office engagements – Chandler, who can have been out of the game for 18 months by the point their rumored scrap comes round, has misplaced three of his final 4 outings within the Octagon.
Extra satisfying, maybe, could be a contest with Charles Oliveira or Justin Gaethje – the previous’s coach, Diego Lima, claims that such a battle would “cease the world”.
That, in fact, could be an enormous gamble from the McGregor camp, provided that the duo have been energetic in MMA whereas the Irishman has been having fun with his absence from the game.
That being mentioned, McGregor has the air of a person who could be prepared to battle anybody, wherever, which could open the door to a date with Gaethje or Oliveira… or perhaps a true ‘trilogy’ bout with Poirier.
Diamond Shines On
Seven years separated the primary two fights between Poirier and McGregor.
The Irishman received the primary with a TKO end again in September 2014, earlier than the ‘Diamond’ had his revenge with a knockout victory of his personal in January 2021.
Their much-anticipated trilogy battle in July 2021 got here to an abrupt finish when McGregor suffered his damaged leg within the first spherical, so there’s very a lot a way of unfinished enterprise in each camps.
Poirier has gone on to beat Chandler, lose to Oliveira and Gaethje, earlier than defeating Benoit Saint Denis final trip to climb again as much as third within the UFC lightweight rankings.
It offers him some bargaining energy, though there’s little question that Gaethje vs Makhachev is the title bout most followers need to see subsequent within the light-weight division – not that the followers are likely to get what they need, in fact.
The previous “I’d quite promote sizzling sauce” vibe… https://t.co/rLJ8ZQlBzm
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) April 7, 2024
If McGregor vs Oliveira is the large promote this summer time, then that leaves Poirier vs Chandler – they’ve loads of beef excellent too, with the latter taking to Twitter to chastise the previous earlier this month.
Three stellar light-weight bouts, even perhaps on one card. Are you studying this, Dana White?
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