Dustin Poirier see UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev as more refined than Khabib Nurmagomedov in certain areas.
Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) for the lightweight title in the main event of UFC 302 on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ
Poirier fell short in his quest for the undisputed belt when he was submitted by Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September 2019. Now he faces Nurmagomedov’s protégé Makhachev, who he considers even more dangerous.
“His submission game in jiu-jitsu is a little more versatile than Khabib’s,” Poirier said in “MMA time.” “Khabib used some chokes that he did very well, but Islam put himself in bad positions going for armbars, maybe he will lose position, but he trusts in his wrestling to regain it. He’s a little more threatening in jiu-jitsu in sparring, and his striking is better than Khabib’s.
Makhachev said he has the key to an easy fight against Poirier. “The Diamond” thinks Makhachev is undermining him.
“I kind of feel like some of the things he says might not be (respecting me),” Poirier said. “But I’m going to get my hands on this guy. I’m going in there to hurt him. This is my last dose: Mom’s spaghetti, let’s go. … I haven’t been following it much, but when I was at the gym, Mike Brown said to me, ‘Man, I think this guy might be underestimating your jiu-jitsu and underestimating how dangerous you are.’
“I think he was referring to an Islam interview saying, ‘This is an easy fight for me.’ I was tagged in a lot of things on Instagram and Twitter saying that. I don’t know, maybe he fights every fight like that, but I can submit and beat anyone at 155 pounds in the world. I really believe that, and he doesn’t have to. I’m the one who has to believe and I’m the one who has to go there and beat him up. I can do this.”
For more information on the cards, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 302.
