UFC 302: Dustin Poirier Praises Arman Tsarukyan's 'Mature' Choice to Forgo Title Shot

Fighting Islam Makhachev? Yeah, Poirier tells Tsarukyan "might want a full camp".

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Dustin Poirier reacts after knocking out Benoit Saint Denis during / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Dustin Poirier has more to thank than the UFC for his third title opportunity.

The former UFC interim champion's final crack at undisputed gold comes at UFC 302 where Poirier will square off with the reigning and defending lightweight champion Islam Makhachev on June 1st. Poirier is in prime position for title contention after knocking Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 in March.

Poirier could have very well missed his chance to fight for lightweight gold in the aftermath of UFC 300 as Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway went down with high stakes on the line. It'd be both Tsarukyan and Holloway who came out the night as big winners at 155lbs but none would rush to a title fight with Makhachev thereafter.

#1 contender Tsarukyan was offered a title rematch with Makhachev the night he beat Oliveira, but would have to be quick in his turnaround at UFC 302. Tsarukyan decided to decline the offer from his locker room with less than seven week's time to prepare.

"When I left the Octagon, right away, Hunter [Campbell] came and said, June 1st, Islam. I said, I gotta think," Tsarukyan said on 'The MMA Hour'. Date [from now] was like seven weeks left and I gotta, I [can't] jump too fast, so I gotta rest a little bit and then have a camp. If it was like June 20 or like end of June, yeah, I would take that fight because I have like at least 10 weeks. Two weeks rest and eight weeks for preparation."

Tsarukyan has been criticized by his fellow UFC lightweight Michael Chandler for turning down an opportunity of a lifetime against Makhachev. All smiles is Dustin Poirier who benefitted from Tsarukyan's course of action and finds himself in the next title fight at UFC 302. "The Diamond" details if Tsarkuyan ultimately made the right decision to sit out or should've taken the opportunity presented to him.

"I think like removing myself from his decision, benefiting me on getting a title shot, looking at it away from that, I think he's a young guy, has a long future ahead, a lot of fights left in him," Poirier told Yahoo! Sports. "For him to jump out of an eight week training camp, fight somebody, a tough fight, and then jump right back into training camp and have six weeks or whatever it would've been to to get prepared. If you're guaranteed the next shot, you might want a full camp.

"Apparently he does, you might want to step back and say, 'I'm guaranteed the next shot anyway, I'll fight whoever has the belt, but I want to be 100% going in there'. I mean, that's a mature decision for a younger guy to make when he is getting offered his first UFC title shot."

For Dustin Poirier, UFC 302 won't his be his first rodeo. The perennial lightweight contender has gone 0-2 in undisputed title fights, falling short against then-champions Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. Poirier draws another heavy grappler in Islam Makhachev for what some are saying is his last chance to become a champion.

In the eyes of Poirier, this is no retirement fight however, it's a culmination of everything he's been fighting for ever since he first put on the gloves.

"At the same time I feel like I can climb my way back up the way I have over and over again. It's just, do I have it in me?" Poirier asked. "Do I want to do that? I've been doing it for so many years and grinding tooth and nail, fighting my way up this ladder to try to be number one. And the goal is to be the undisputed world champion. That's the only thing I have left to do in this sport. I want to finish the story and be the champion forever, that's my goal."

We'll see if Dustin Poirier can scratch that dream off his bucket list at UFC 302.

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