MMA analyst Chael Sonnen believes Dustin Poirier has shifted gears late in his career. Although Poirier once chased UFC gold as his ultimate priority, with two failed title charges on his CV, Chael Sonnen claimed on his YouTube channel that Poirier is taking a leaf out of another opponent’s book.
Considering Poirier’s barnstorming fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 281 this past weekend, which came almost a year after his last appearance in the Octagon, Sonnen argued that Poirier is chasing the elevated “McGregor status” where wins and losses fail to matter.
Sonnen: Poirer Chasing “Conor McGregor Status” Over UFC Title
“Dustin Poirier right now is not on a mission to be champion. And to become champion is very realistic; that’s not the statement I’m making. Dustin Poirier’s No. 1 goal right now is not to reclaim his championship. He wants to go into a category. It’s the elite of the elite. It’s a category so high that when you start training, you don’t even set a goal to do.
There’s one more category above champion. One category, and that is when the outcome of your fight doesn’t matter. When you get to a level of popularity where the outcome of your match no longer matters. The next time you come out, the crowd will be sold out, and you will be in the main event. Even if you’re coming off of a loss, your next fight will be the main event.
I’m talking about Conor McGregor status.” Poirier got a taste of “Conor McGregor status” in 2021, defeating the former two-division champ in two consecutive outings. Both times, McGregor earned more from the pay-per-view sales than Poirier did despite his losing record of late. Perhaps Dustin Poirier wants to make massive fights happen regardless of their implications for the lightweight title.
“He wants to do superfights. He wants to do massive fights and the title be damned. He’s already got one. He’s got one sitting in his mantle at home. He will go down in the record books if he never fights again as a champion of the world, which he was. He wants to go into this different realm.”
Dustin Poirier is in prime position to take superfights. As an elite lightweight with a reputation for entertaining fights and brutal stoppage wins, Poirier could well be on his way to non-champ superstar status. Jorge Masvidal is another fighter who has not won a single one of his last three fights but remains a massive pay-per-view draw.
Is Poirier chasing McGregor status? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpT_3WGE3LU
