In a clash of lightweight title contenders, Michael Chandler is doubling down on his promise to take on Dustin Poirier. With a rivalry brewing ever since the pair exchanged heated words during International Fight Week this July, Chandler promised “fireworks” in an interview with MMAFighting.
“You know it’s going to be fireworks. One thing you can’t say is that Dustin’s ever been in a boring fight, or I’ve ever been in a boring fight, so it’s going to be fireworks whenever it happens.”
Chandler Promises “Fireworks’ In Potential Poirier Fight
Chandler also explained what happened when an altercation developed between the two back in July.“I just heard some shouting, turned around, and realized it was Dustin kind of pointing at me.
I could tell he was talking to me. It caught me completely off guard. I’m not there to get in verbal or physical altercations or any kind of controversy ever. That’s not my nature. Quite frankly, I shy away from it. I’m kind of a pacifist by nature in a lot of ways, except when I go out there and get paid for it inside the octagon.
The security guards were kind of trying to pull us away, but I’m like, ‘I have to go see what he’s saying’ because it was far away, music’s playing, lights are flashing everywhere, you could hear the crowd noise, so I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Got over and got close, and he said his piece and he’s got a problem with me.”
Chandler continued, describing a “slight” he interpreted from Poirier. “I do think it stems back from him saying, ‘Instead of fighting Chandler, I’d rather go sell hot sauce.
I took that as a slight, obviously, but since then accidentally, really, in one interview, I forgot to mention his name inside the title picture.
But that was because at that time he was talking about retirement, he was talking about never making 155 again, he was talking about going up to 170. He was campaigning hard for the Diaz fight. So in my mind, he had already left the lightweight division. I think that’s what kind of set him off or made him not too happy with me, but I’m not really worried about it. I respect him as a fighter. I respect everybody that I’ve fought.”
Michael Chandler has also called out a frequent foe of Poirier’s, Conor McGregor. Either fight would be hugely lucrative for the former Bellator champion, as Chandler pursues another title shot in the UFC’s 155-pound division.
Do you want to see Chandler vs Poirier? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wop0hWK1kAA
