Dustin Poirier agreed to fight Islam Makhachev on short notice for UFC 294, but the title shot went to Alexander Volkanovski instead, and Poirier felt sympathetic rather than bitter about the situation.
Dustin Poirier was initially approached by the UFC to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 on short notice, and he agreed to the fight. However, the opportunity ultimately went to Alexander Volkanovski for the lightweight title fight after Charles Oliveira withdrew. Poirier stated that while UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell did not outright tell him he would be the pick, he would have seized the opportunity if chosen. Campbell mentioned that Poirier had eagerly agreed to the fight and had been persistent in seeking updates about the fight’s status. Poirier confirmed this, saying, “That’s exactly accurate.”
When Poirier received the call about the fight, he had just landed in Florida to check on his condo and had been training for five days with his team. He was all set and prepared to take the fight, expressing his readiness to make weight in just 11 days. Poirier indicated that Campbell initially asked him to give him one day, and when he didn’t hear back, Poirier was eager to book his flights and get ready to go.
Having only fought once in 2023, Poirier suffered a second-round knockout loss to Justin Gaethje in the “BMF” title main event at UFC 291. Despite the missed opportunity, Poirier was sympathetic towards Volkanovski, who ended up taking the fight but suffered a head-kick knockout loss to Makhachev. Poirier expressed understanding for Volkanovski, having experienced a similar situation himself, and remarked on the unpredictability of fighting. He stated, “But to see a guy go out there in front of the world, and not get to actually compete and get into the actual fight, that sucks. But that can happen to anyone. That’s fighting, and that’s why we love it.”