Dustin Poirier declared "I'm the champ" after defeating Conor McGregor by technical knockout at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
A string of punches to McGregor's head in the second round made Poirier a leading contender for the UFC lightweight title, which is still held by Khabib Nurmagomedov despite the Russian having retired.
Poirier said he would be open to a rematch with McGregor or a bout with Nate Diaz but ruled out a fight against Michael Chandler, who defeated Dan Hooker on his UFC debut in the co-main event.
Asked if a fight with former Bellator lightweight champion Chandler interested him, Porier said: "No, it does not. Respect to Chandler, great win over a guy, but to come in and beat a guy I just beat and get a title shot?
"Dude, I've been 27, 28 fights in the UFC, trying everything, fighting the toughest of the toughest guys to get my hands on gold. He should fight Charles Oliveira or something, let them go at it.
"That doesn't really interest me at this point. I'll go and sell hot sauce if that's the case.
"It's not even my position, I've just been putting in the work, that's why I can sit here and talk about it because I've been in the division and the UFC for a long time fighting the best of the best to him.
"No disrespect to him … it's just my feelings towards the division and the sport. I feel like I lost to Khabib, I came out and put on a fight of the year for you guys, got my hand raised against a top-five opponent after that, then I come in here and Khabib doesn't want to come back, and one of the biggest fights you can get I knock this guy out too.
"Khabib reiterates he doesn't want to fight anymore. Dude, I'm the champ.
"Fighting a new guy to the UFC who just beat a guy whose coming off a loss that I just beat for the belt, that's not exciting to me."
Poirier ranked the victory over McGregor as one of his best, particularly because the Irishman won their first meeting in 2014 and had never been knocked out before.
"It's up there, especially finishing a guy who's never been finished like that, it's up there man," he said.
"Touching that UFC interim belt was so important to me, and putting my hands on the undisputed world title before this is all said and done is what I want to absolutely do, but this is a big one."
Poirier lost his first and only shot at the title when he was submitted at UFC 242 by Nurmagomedov, who bowed out after making Justin Gaethje tap at UFC 254 last October.
Asked whether Gaethje or Oliveira was more deserving of a chance to fight him for the lightweight belt, he replied: "Oliveira, because he's never had the opportunity.
"Gaethje just came out here and got beat. As I did. Not a knock on Gaethje, but he lost. Oliveira probably, or let them fight to see who gets it. There are so many tough fighters in the 155-pound division."
“They’ll bear witness to a slaughter”- Blake promises dominant display in RFL Ocho main event on Saturday
Rough Fight League (RFL) Amateur Lightweight Champion Shiaeine ‘Da Great’ Blake says fans can expect him to make quick work of opponent Daron ‘Avatar’ Weir when the two lock horns in the main event of RFL Ocho at Funland in Hope Gardens in Kingston on Saturday.
‘Da Great,’ who has held the number one spot across three weight classes in the Caribbean, will be making his professional debut against Weir, an accomplished boxer, who is now stepping into the professional MMA scene after taking this fight on short notice.
“I envision him laying on the canvas within eight minutes looking up at me and wondering what went wrong,” Blake told Sportsmax.tv on Tuesday.
“Fans are coming out expecting a fight but they’ll bear witness to a slaughter,” added Blake.
Knowing that Weir is coming from a strictly boxing background and this being an MMA fight, one would think that the obvious play for Blake is to lean into a wrestling-heavy style on Saturday.
The 29-year-old has other ideas, however, noting that his ego has got the best of him ahead of their bout.
“Knowing that Daron’s style is boxing heavy, I’ve allowed my ego to get a hold of me and challenged myself to beat him primarily with boxing,” Blake said.
“I’ve prepared to beat him where he’s best at. Boxing is his hope, but there cannot be despair without hope so I’ll beat him where he’s best and watch him crumble,” he added.
Blake last fought at the IMMAF Pan American Championships in Monterrey in September, losing via kneebar submission to Mexico’s Diego Rangel in round two of their three-round fight.
That fight is in the past and Blake says he’s going into Saturday’s fight with a clear mind.
“The loss hasn’t really affected me mentally of physically. You win and you lose in sports. That’s given, analyze it, learn from it and move onward,” he said.
Rough Fight League 'Ocho' set to ignite Kingston with explosive MMA and Kickboxing showdowns at Hope Gardens
The Rough Fight League (RFL) Ocho is set to take place this Saturday, October 26, at Funland in Hope Gardens, Kingston, promising an action-packed night of mixed martial arts (MMA) and kickboxing. The event, which starts at 8 pm, will feature eight thrilling bouts, including two high-profile main events that fans won’t want to miss.
Headlining the card, Shiaeinie ‘Da Great’ Blake, a dominant figure in Caribbean MMA, will make his professional debut against Daron ‘Avatar’ Weir. Blake, who has held the number one spot across three weight classes in the Caribbean, will be tested by Weir, an accomplished boxer now stepping into the professional MMA scene. “We expect fireworks from that,” said event organizer Kyle Chin. Weir’s transition to MMA promises an explosive bout, as both fighters bring top-tier experience in their respective disciplines.
In another main event, Theron ‘The Iron Prince’ Rose Green will take on Jaheem ‘Imru Makonnen’ Morrison in an amateur welterweight championship fight. Rose Green, an emerging MMA star who has already made waves with wins in Trinidad and Jamaica, will face Morrison, a skilled kickboxer building a strong reputation in the sport. “It’s a classic wrestler versus striker match-up,” Chin explained, noting Rose Green’s well-rounded skill set, honed through international competition in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, beach wrestling, and MMA.
'Tank' Thompson
Adding to the excitement is Tyrece ‘Tank’ Thompson, the 2024 Pan American Super Heavyweight International Mixed Martial Arts Champion, who will be competing against Samuel Campbell. Thompson, fresh off his Pan Am gold, will look to continue his dominance in the super heavyweight division.
The event will also see the pro debut of Demar ‘Force’ Haslam, RFL’s 145-pound amateur champion, who will face Nakia Anderson in what promises to be another intense match. “It’s going to be an exciting night,” Chin said, emphasizing that the card will feature a mix of MMA and kickboxing fights, showcasing the depth of talent in the region.
This is the first major RFL event of the year, following the pandemic-induced hiatus. “We did have a level of consistency with seven events, but we are trying to return to that now,” Chin said, adding that the sport continues to grow in Jamaica. “Jamaica has always been known as a strong striking country. We have good boxing, karate, kickboxing, and now we are seeing an evolution in our game.”
With a new venue, a stacked fight card, and the return of some of Jamaica’s top combat athletes, Rough Fight League Ocho is set to be an unforgettable night for MMA and kickboxing fans.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at Jacana New Kingston, Jangas Soundbar, The Life Store and Jacana Manor Park.
New Champion: Muhammad strikes Welterweight gold after dominant win over Edwards in UFC 304 main event
A new UFC Welterweight champion has been crowned as Belal Muhammad dethroned Leon Edwards in a stunning unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC 304 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England on Saturday.
In the highly anticipated rematch, Muhammad, now the first ever Palestinian-American UFC champion, put on a wrestling clinic to neutralize Leon Edwards’ striking and secure a unanimous decision win.
The judges scored the bout 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, all in favor of Muhammad.
Muhammad’s game plan was clear from the outset as he repeatedly took Edwards down and controlled him on the ground.
Despite Edwards’ attempts to escape and land strikes from the bottom, Muhammad’s grappling prowess and improved striking kept the champion at bay throughout the 25 minutes.
“It sounds like a lot of the people booing have a lot of tears in their eyes right now,” an emotional Muhammad said in his post-fight interview.
“I’ve worked my whole life for this moment, and I’m just getting started,” he added.
Edwards put his lackluster performance down to fatigue in the week leading up to the fight.
“No surprises. My body just felt tired from round one. Congrats to Belal. He got the job done and we’ll get it back again,” Edwards said after the fight.
The Kingston-born southpaw was attempting to successfully defend his title for the third time.
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