Diamond’s Time To Shine?

“The Diamond” is back in the gym, raising speculation that he could be fighting for the 155-pound title at UFC 302 on June 1, 2024.

Perfect timing?

Dustin Poirier could be back in action sooner rather than later if a new social media post from the former interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight roost-ruler is any indication.

You really have to be careful with everything you read on April Fools’ Day, but there was no hint of joke in “The Diamond’s” Instagram update hinting at another fight.

“Looks like it’s back to work,” Poirier wrote over a photo of himself in the gym.

Poirier just just compete at UFC 299 on earlier this month (March 9, 2024) in Miami, Fla., beating a hungry prospect in Benoit Saint-Denis (watch highlights). Previous to that, we waited a long eight months for him to return from a disappointing head kick knockout loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 (see it here). And then another eight months before that was a bloody submission win against Michael Chandler at UFC 281.

The point is: Mr. Hot Sauce hasn’t been getting the fastest turnarounds over the past two years. For some reason, UFC has struggled to figure out what to do with Poirier following his two star-making wins over Conor McGregor. Poirier admitted the Saint-Denis fight was accepted only because there weren’t any other options.

Now, he apparently has options.

One of those is a potential Lightweight title fight for an upcoming UFC 302 card on June 1, 2024, in New Jersey. That’s when reigning 155-pound champion, Islam Makhachev, has been agitating for a title defense, and the Newark card needs a big main pay-per-view (PPV) event.

And other Lightweight contenders (like this one) won’t be ready after they compete at UFC 300 in mid-April. So, why not “legend” like Poirier?

It’s been a question fans have been repeating enough that perhaps UFC matchmakers have started considering it seriously. We’ll have to wait until the official announcement to find out, though.

Weird spot.

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