When former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier enters the octagon for the UFC 302 main event on Saturday, it will be the third time he’s fought for undisputed UFC gold. “The Diamond” takes on champion Islam Makhachev and is a heavy underdog.
Makhachev (25-1) suffered his only career loss in October 2015. He enters his third title defense riding a 13-fight winning streak. Poirier (30-8, 1 NC) is coming off a knockout win over Benoit Saint Denis and believes he can do that same to Makhachev.
“I can definitely win this fight,” Poirier said during the UFC 302 Media Day. “If I touch his chin, he’ll go down. He’ll find that out on Saturday. Maybe that’s something he doesn’t need to believe. Maybe he needs to be positive and confident walking into this, which he should be, but if you don’t think I have a chance to win you’re lying to yourself.”
“Over the years, if there’s anything I’ve learned fighting is like the media, my opponents, their camps, the critics don’t matter. It’s in my hands,” Poirier continued. “I’m the only guy who has the opportunity to make this happen, or whatever decisions I make under those lights on Saturday, I’m the guy in the driver’s seat. All these other guys talking are passengers, or in the backseat. I steer where this goes.”
The UFC 302 title fight could be Poirier’s last octagon performance the 35-year old has stated leading up to the event.
“It could be (my last fight). It could be. I haven’t made like an official decision yet, but it could be,” he said in an interview with Fight Bananas. “I’ve said this over and over again. I still have a lot of tread on the tired. I can beat these guys. I can beat these young guys. I just did it. I still feel good. My body feels good, but it’s just like how much do I want to give to this sport because you don’t ride for free.”
https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/dustin-poirier-i-can-definitely-win-this-fight