Dustin Poirier responds to Islam Makhachev calling him an “easy fight” ahead of UFC 302

Dustin Poirier has responded to Islam Makhachev claiming he is an easy fight ahead of UFC 302.

Makhchev is set to defend his lightweight title in the main event of UFC 302 against Poirier on June 1 in Newark, New Jersey. It’s an intriguing matchup, and heading into the fight, Makhachev has called Poirier an easy fight.

“Dustin, he is a warrior, legend – he has more than everybody experience in this sport,” Makhachev told TMZ Sports. “But his problem is his style. That’s the one problem this guy has. His weak point is wrestling and grappling, and I have the key for the easy fight. And if I follow the plan, I can beat him easy. My style and Khabib’s style, it’s worst style for Dustin. People who can take him down, hold him there, it always gives him problems.”

Following Makhachev’s comments about Poirier being an easy fight, ‘The Diamond’ has responded and is ready to prove the lightweight champ wrong.

“I hadn’t been keeping up a whole lot but when I was at the gym, Mike Brown, he said ‘Man, this guy might be underestimating your jiu-jitsu and underestimating how dangerous you are.’ I think what he is referring to is an interview of Islam saying this is an easy fight for me. I was tagged in a bunch of stuff on Instagram and twitter, that is where I see a lot of the info of him saying that. I don’t know, maybe he goes about all fights like this. But, I can finish and beat anybody at 155lbs in the world, I really believe that. He doesn’t have to believe it, I am the one who has to believe it and I’m the one who has to go out there and beat his ass, and I can do that,” Poirier said on The MMA Hour.

Although Dustin Poirier has confidence that he will beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, he is a sizeable betting underdog. He’s a +410 underdog which implies a 19.6% chance of winning, but ‘The Diamond’ has confidence he will become the undisputed champion.

To earn the title shot, Poirier scored a TKO win over Benoit Saint-Denis in March at UFC 299.