MMAjunkie<\/a> about this surprising fight with Holloway. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t make the decisions. I don\u2019t even know what happened. Honestly, these last few months I\u2019ve been kept in the dark, really. I\u2019ve been here seven weeks now in South Florida at my spot training. Not in a training camp preparing for anything, but just learning and staying on the mats. I just felt like something big was coming, and I decided to stay here. Good thing I did because I got the call for this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cOriginally they wanted Max and Tony, and then they called me,\u201d Dustin Poirier added. \u201cThey didn\u2019t really have a whole lot of plans, then at the last minute they tried to put together Max vs. Tony. Then they called and said, \u2018If for some reason Max falls out or doesn\u2019t take it, you\u2019re going to fight Tony for the interim. If for some reason Tony doesn\u2019t make it, then you\u2019re going to fight Max for the interim.\u2019 Tony apparently didn\u2019t think it was the right fight at the right time, or he had something going on. I don\u2019t know his exact story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to figure out why he couldn\u2019t make the date, but honestly I don\u2019t care. I hope everything is good for him and his family and hope he\u2019s healthy, but this is my opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whatever the case, Dustin Poirier is understandably incredibly happy that this opportunity landed in his lap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis means everything to me,\u201d Poirier said. \u201cWhen I get that belt wrapped around my waist, it solidifies \u2013 well in this day and age (you never know) \u2013 it should solidify that I\u2019m going to unify the belt with Khabib in the next fight. It says I\u2019m the best in the world, but I still have a lot more work to do after that. It\u2019s not done yet. It helps me move forward in my career where I want to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know a lot of people are going to (expletive) on it because that\u2019s the way people are. People suck. They\u2019re going to say, \u2018You\u2019re not the champion.\u2019 But let me tell you what: After 40 fights, after 12 years of struggling and climbing back from adversity, after all the sacrifices I\u2019ve made with my family, that my wife has made because of the ups, the downs. When they wrap that around my waist, I promise you not a person\u2019s opinion in the world is going to matter. I\u2019m going to be the world the champion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you think of the recently announced Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier interim lightweight title fight?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article first appeared on <\/em>BJPENN.COM<\/em><\/a> on 2\/24\/2019.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At UFC 236, streaking UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier will battle reigning UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway for the interim lightweight strap. Like many fans, Poirier believes Tony Ferguson deserved to be a part of any title fight in the lightweight division, but he isn’t sure why Ferguson turned the opportunity down. \u201cI\u2019m not sure […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54430,"featured_media":281782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[10297,10113,39610],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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