Dustin Poirier has opened the door to a potential matchup with top-five lightweight Beneil Dariush following ‘The Diamond’s’ hard-fought submission victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 281.
Poirier, the #2 lightweight in the world, thinks the matchup ‘makes a lot of sense’ and that Dariush deserves the fight after winning his last eight in a row including a dominant decision win over Poland’s Mateusz Gamrot this past October.
“That’s one that makes a lot of sense. Beneil’s earned his stripes and put away some tough guys, and been looking great doing it,” Poirier told reporters at the UFC 281 post-fight press conference in New York (h/t The Heavy). “We’ll see, I’m not against it. It’s ultimately up to the UFC and my time frame — when I want to return. That’s what it comes down to.”
“I think it’s a great matchup,” he added. I think he deserves a top matchup.”
Poirier defeated Chandler in a Fight of the Night that saw both men pocket an extra $50,000 for their performances, with Poirier submitting ‘Iron Mike’ with a rear-naked choke in the third round.
Dariush last fought at UFC 280 where he defeated Gamrot via unanimous decision. He is currently #4 in the UFC lightweight rankings and is considered one of the most technical grapplers in the division.