Dustin Poirier V Michael Chandler: This Monster Matchup Has Major Title Fight Implications

We are just ten days away from one of the biggest UFC fight cards we have seen in quite some time. This is going to be a stacked event with the undercards featuring big names like Dan Hooker and Molly McCann. The main card is what has everyone salivating. Izzy Adesanya is defending his title against Alex Pereira who is the last man to knock the style bender out. The match that has everyone in south Louisiana fired is the co-main event between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler.

This is a huge match-up for both Chandler and Poirier that could determine who gets the next shot at the title. This is a battle between the savvy veteran who is looking to get his first taste of a championship belt and the newcomer who took the UFC world by storm. These guys have a lot in common from resumes to fighting styles, let's break down this pivotal fight.

Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier comes in a 5'9'' and typically weighs in around the 154 mark. The Diamond is 28-7 in his career and has some impressive victories over Dan Hooker and back-to-back KOs against Connor McGregor. Poirier is 3-2 in his five fights with both of those losses coming in a title fight. The Diamond fought Nurmagomedov for the title in 2019 but would lose by way of submission. He fought for the title again in 2021 against Charles Oliveria, but would also lose by submission.

Poirer is known as a striker, meaning he's extremely aggressive with his punches. He likes to attack fast and often, but has shown tremendous patience in his two victories against McGregor. He is also known for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu, or grappling. We have seen him able to work out of tough spots against McGregor when he hit the mat, but it's not as strong as his striking ability. Poirier was out-grappled in his last two title fights, but he's going to need this to give him an edge over a very similar opponent.

Michael Chandler is 23-7 in pro career and comes in at 5'8'' and usually weighs in around 156. Chandler's record is impressive but this will only be his fifth match in UFC with most of his fights coming in Bellator. After an impressive debut KO against Dan Hooker, Chandler got a title shot in his second UFC fight. He would get KO'd in the second round by Charles Oliveira and followed that up with a loss to Justin Gaethje. He bounced back with a KO victory against Tony Ferguson.

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Chandler is also known for his striking ability and is extremely aggressive early in rounds. His aggression has gotten him in trouble in the past and led to his defeat. If he has a weak spot, it would more than likely be his ability to grapple. Chandler's Brazilian jiu-jitsu is not as strong as Poirier's and could be his weak area in this fight.

This is going to be an absolute bloodbath of a fight. Both guys are known as extremely aggressive fighters who love to go for the kill. For Poirier, his best shot at victory is to get Chandler on the ground and force him into submission through grappling. For Chandler, he needs to take the fight Poirier and put him on his toes early and often. This is going to be an amazing fight, but my money is on Poirier with his slight edge in grappling.

This fight also has major title implications on the line. The result of UFC 280 has made this matchup more interesting than it was before. The former champion, Charles Oliveira, lost his first match to Islam Makhachev. Before his loss, it was assumed by almost everyone that the winner of Poirier v Chandler would face Oliveira for a rematch. Oliveira's loss might set up a contender fight for the winner. Meaning, the winner of Poirier v Chandler might have to fight Oliveira before fighting for the title.

Either way, there is a lot at stake for this fight and I can't wait to watch it. Poirier and Chandler will square off in Octagon in MSG on November 12th.