Dustin Poirier says UFC 281 fight against Michael Chandler ‘a bit personal, but just business’ (video)
Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler will finally face off in a much-anticipated fight at UFC 281.
UFC 281 has all the makings of a major showcase with plenty of big fights across the card. Even with two championships prepared for the evening, fans have their eyes on the battle between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. These two men have a reputation for action and are the perfect pairing to produce a “Fight of the Year” candidate. Poirier is coming off the longest time of his career and is ready to get back in there for what should be a fan-friendly affair.
Poirier’s run under the Zuffa banner is filled with action-packed fights. Starting with his upset victory over then highly touted prospect, Josh Grispi at UFC 125 in 2011, all the way up to his last victory over Conor McGregor in 2021, Poirier has been a model citizen for the UFC. Even in his losses, he pushes his opponents to bring out the best of them. However, he expressed some initial frustrations in getting a fight booked nearly a year after his last taste of the action.
“At the beginning, I was a little frustrated trying to get a fight, but then life happens,” Poirier said during the UFC 281 media. “The first couple of months I was getting aggravated with the wait, not hearing anything. But things fell into place.”
The booking of this bout against Chandler is what fell into place for Poirier. This is an intriguing fight that stood out as a potential matchup when Chandler first signed with the UFC in 2020. The two men have gone back and forth in a fashion that’s led many to believe there’s some animus between the two competitors.
“Every fight is a bit personal to me. We’re going to go in there and try to hurt each other,” Poirier said. “That’s every fight, but it’s just business as always.”
Chandler versus Poirier has Fight of the Year potential
Chandler was able to right the ship in his last outing when he stopped Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. Before that, he dropped two straight fights with Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira, both of which were filled with exceptional violence.
As a former interim champion, picking up a win at UFC 281 could help Poirier’s case for getting back into the title picture, but right now his focus is on walking out of the Octagon with the victory.
“Nothing is ever clear in this sport, especially in the lightweight division,” Poirier said. “None of that matters until Saturday night. First things first, I have to get my hand raised.”
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