Dustin Poirier appeared on The MMA Hour and one of the topics that came up was Georges St. Pierre’s desire to fight the winner of Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC 229 lightweight championship bout. Reportedly, the winner of the UFC 230 Nate Diaz vs Dustin Poirier bout will be getting the next shot at the 155 pound title. It makes sense for GSP to want the title fight because it would make him the only fighter to win a belt in three UFC divisions if he won. There’s just one problem. There are a lot of fighters in line who have already earned a spot on the waiting list so if the UFC did make the bout it would be for financial gain only. It would send another message that fighters don’t get title shots by winning fights.
Here’s what Poirier said on The MMA Hour (via BJPenn.com)…
Nah, it’s not happening. ..Look, after I beat Nate Diaz, I’m fighting for the belt. Or I’m fighting GSP, but he’s not going to get one before I do…When I beat Nate Diaz and it’s my turn to fight for that belt, when I win that belt, when history looks back at all of this, nobody can ever say I didn’t earn anything. I never took the easy route. I’ve always fought the best guys. I’ve never pulled out of a fight. I’ve never missed weight. I’ve put it all on the line every time, win, lose, or draw, and that’s what I want to be left behind in my legacy. A guy who just pushed through it all and kept at it and stayed true to the path, and this is all part of my legacy.
Would it be fair for GSP to get the shot before Dustin?