The undisputed UFC lightweight title will be on the line this winter when champion Charles Oliveira defends his belt against Dustin Poirier.
MMAFighting.com was the first to report that Poirier vs. Chandler was in the works for UFC 269, which is set to take place on December 11. Both sides have verbally agreed to the title fight, according to the report. UFC 269 also features UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes putting her belt on the line against top contender Julianna Pena. With the addition of these two title fights, UFC 269 is starting to look like a great card.
Of course, the crown jewel of this UFC 269 is the main event between Poirier and Oliveira, and for good reason, as we will finally find out who the true No. 1 lightweight in the world is. Although Oliveira holds the belt at the moment, there are many fans and media who believe that it is actually Poirier who is the best lightweight in the world considering his two TKO wins over Conor McGregor. That being said, Oliveira is on a nine-fight win streak himself and he has wiped the floor with almost everyone in his path during that stretch. After knocking out Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in May, Oliveira proved his worth.
Still, it’s Poirier who will enter this fight against the champion Oliveira as the betting favorite. Aside from a loss to former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Poirier has been pretty much destroying everyone in his path at lightweight. While Oliveira presents a different stylistic matchup due to his incredible submission skills, Poirier is no slouch on the ground. On the feet, both men are good strikers but Poirier is probably a little slicker and more powerful. Still, regardless of what side you are leaning in this one, it should be an absolutely phenomenal fight for the UFC lightweight championship.
Who do you think wins the lightweight strap at UFC 269, Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira?
