Glass Ceiling at Lightweight Limits Options for Dustin Poirier Despite Win at UFC 281

Dustin Poirier picked up yet another incredible victory at UFC 281 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, but his future in the jam-packed lightweight division is uncertain to say the least.

The Louisiana native, ranked No. 2 at 155 pounds, was back in action on the event’s main card, taking on former Bellator champ and No. 5-ranked contender Michael Chandler.

The matchup was hailed as a potential Fight of the Year contender from the moment it was announced, and it lived up to those expectations from the opening bell to the moment Poirier ended it with a rear-naked choke in Round 3.

Chandler, who is known for his fight-ending punching power and tremendous wrestling skill, came out guns blazing, and he was finding Poirier’s chin within the first minute of the first round.

After he completed a takedown, it looked as though he could be on his way to a first-round win over one of the division’s best fighters, but then Poirier turned things around, exploding back to his feet and nearly scoring a knockout of his own in the waning moments of the round.

“He was a little bit more durable than I thought he would be,” Poirier told commentator Joe Rogan after the win. “I had him hurt, then I landed a little bit more after I thought I hurt him, and he was still there.”

There was good reason to be concerned for Chandler as Round 2 began. A minute simply isn’t long enough to recover from the punishment he took at the end of Round 1. Yet flaunting some serious veteran savvy, the former Bellator champ quickly turned to his ground game and dragged Poirier to the mat, where he collected several minutes of control time.

By the time the second round was over, it was clear that Poirier needed a big third round to win the fight. He had clearly lost the second, and the first was close.

He did what he needed to do.

After reversing a Chandler takedown attempt, Poirier began searching for the rear-naked choke, and after a short struggle, he locked it up. Chandler had no choice but to tap, with blood sputtering from his nose and mouth.

“I thought if I hurt him, I was going to put him away,” he said. “Who ain’t got jiu-jitsu?”

The win cemented Poirier as one of the sport’s greatest lightweights. Unfortunately, he has almost no hope of getting another crack at the division’s title at this stage.

The first problem is that new champion Islam Makhachev is officially occupied with another challenge: Earlier on Saturday, it was announced that he’ll defend his belt against featherweight champ and pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in 2023.

The other problem is that, for all his skill, Poirier will be tough to sell as a legitimate threat to Makhachev. Not only does the champion have the grappling to drown just about anybody, but he just dominated Charles Oliveira, who submitted Poirier in a title fight less than a year ago.

Things look even bleaker for Chandler after UFC 281. While the former Bellator king shares Poirier’s reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in the game, he is now 2-3 in the UFC, with his lone wins coming against hot-and-cold veterans in Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson.

He’s good too—there’s no question—but at this point, he is just not a credible threat to the title. Particularly with a juggernaut with Makhachev on the throne.

The implication here is that both Poirier and Chandler will probably be forced to focus on non-title fights for the time being. And at 33 and 36, respectively, that’s probably not what either guy has in mind.

The good news—and it is good news—is that, at this point, it’s clear that there are no bad fights for either guy. No matter who you match them up with, they will entertain.

So, while Poirier likely won’t be getting any calls to fight the Makhachev-Volkanovski winner, he might receive offers for rematches with the likes of Justin Gaethje or Conor McGregor. He’d also make a good opponent for streaking contender Beneil Dariush, who was left high and dry by Volkanovski’s lightweight title shot. The list goes on and on and on.

The options are no fewer for Chandler. A rematch with Gaethje, who he lost to in a 2021 Fight of the Year contender, will always make sense, while a fight with a rising contender like Rafael Fiziev or a veteran like Rafael dos Anjos could also be fun. Chandler could also win the Conor McGregor sweepstakes, having made loose fight plans with the Irish superstar in the past.

One way or the other, it’s clear that while Poirier’s and Chandler’s days as title challengers may be over, they both have options ahead should they choose to continue fighting.

And after their UFC 281 classic, just about everybody will be hoping they both continue fighting for a long time.