Dustin Poirier Explains Recent Tony Ferguson Call-Out
The UFC’s lightweight division is in a very interesting predicament at the moment.
As of this writing, two title challengers stick out like a sore thumb. Those are Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson. What these two men have been able to do inside of the Octagon as of late has been nothing short of incredible. However, the argument certainly could be made that Ferguson deserves the nod first. He is currently on an 11-fight win streak and was recently stripped of his interim lightweight title due to injury.
Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is awaiting punishment for his involvement in the post-UFC 229 melee against Conor McGregor’s team. He won’t be booked until his punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) is settled. With that being said, this puts the lightweight title picture – more specifically, Ferguson and Poirier – at a stall. In the meantime, Poirier has an idea of how both men can keep busy:
Speaking to MMA Junkie Radio recently, Poirier explained his call-out of “El Cucuy”:
“I just need clarity on what’s next for me,” Poirier said. “I know some of the stuff is out of the UFC’s hands. I’m not blaming the UFC. But just the whole picture. Let’s get this (expletive) going. I’m sick of this. I want to fight Tony. And if it’s not Tony, good for Tony, he’s (expletive) more than earned his shot at Khabib. He’s definitely next in line for the world championship.“He’s ahead of me. I agree. But if that’s not going to happen, let’s let the two best guys who are available go at it.
“Or let me and Conor go at it.”
The prospect of a rematch with Conor McGregor is interesting. McGregor knocked Poirier out in their first meeting at featherweight back in 2014. The Irishman has gone on to become one of the biggest stars in all of sports, and a former two-division UFC champion. Meanwhile, Poirier has thrived since moving up to lightweight, propelling himself into title contention:
“It’s a fun fight for the fans and for both of our careers,” Poirier said. “And it makes sense. But I don’t know what makes sense in this (expletive) company any more.”
