Former middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes that Dustin Poirier’s next fight should be for UFC gold instead of pursuing another money fight.
After Dustin Poirier left the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada with his hand raised against Conor McGregor for a second time, the #1-ranked lightweight has been eying Nate Diaz in the aftermath. “The Diamond” has forged himself through the fire of the lightweight division for more than six years, and many believe he is the uncrowned champion. But until the Louisiana native accepts a fight with lightweight champ Charles Oliveira, he will likely continue to hold that distinction.
Perhaps following the money instead of the title path, it seems Dustin Poirier has readjusted his outlook on the business of fighting. Speaking on Bisping’s Believe You Me Podcast, the UFC color commentator and Hall of Famer gave his take on the situation Poirier finds himself in.
“Keep your eye on the prize baby boy… Listen, a fight with Nate Diaz is gonna generate big money. Yes it probably would be good for his legacy, good for his brand. Good for when he’s retired and people look at his resume and they go: ‘Oh, there’s a Nate Diaz victory as well.’ But do all that after you’ve beat Charles Oliveira,” Michael Bisping said.
“Anything can go wrong in this world, especially in the fight game. You might get injured in the training camp. You might fight Nate Diaz, even if you beat him you might come out of that with a really bad injury that’s gonna affect you down the line. Might affect you winning the world championship. The highest prize, the best accolade to have, is the world championship.” Bisping concluded.
As a fighter who has endured countless career-altering injuries, Bisping believes that an opportunity to capture the undisputed UFC title supersedes a fight with Nate Diaz. Not only that, but Bisping is adamant that the dangers of any fight in the UFC could potentially harm Poirier’s future endeavors. At this point though, “The Diamond” has expressed more interest in getting a fight with Stockton’s Diaz.
Who would you like to see Poirier fight next?
