It is true, the UFC’s lightweight division has moved on from Khabib Nurmagomedov, as hard as that has been.
It’s been more than a year since Nurmagomedov’s sudden retirement, and the UFC crowned a new undisputed champion, Charles Oliveira, in May. Nurmagomedov remains happily retired, and there is no indication he will ever come back. So, yes, the division has moved on — to an extent.
Why hasn’t the 155-pound division moved on entirely into a new chapter? There is still one loose end to tie up. And that involves Dustin Poirier.
The moment it became clear that Nurmagomedov was truly exiting the sport undefeated, it was nearly universally agreed on that Poirier was the best remaining lightweight in the world. Poirier is a former interim champion with 20 wins inside the Octagon. He is 8-1 in his past nine fights, with the only loss coming to Nurmagomedov in 2019.
The UFC acknowledged Poirier’s position in the division earlier this year when it offered him a choice between a lightweight title fight and a lucrative trilogy match against Conor McGregor. Poirier opted to take the July money fight first, so the UFC moved on with a title bout between Oliveira and Michael Chandler.
Oliveira won, and in impressive fashion. And with a winning streak of nine, he is the division’s champ. But he is not yet viewed as the best. That is still Poirier.
Which brings us to Saturday’s UFC 269 main…
Source : espn
