Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler targeted for UFC 281

Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler will finally be fighting.

Ever since Chandler signed with the UFC, the two have been linked to fighting one another. Now, according to Ariel Helwani, the promotion is targeting Poirier vs. Chandler to take place at UFC 281 on November 12 in Madison Square Garden in New York. The deal has not been signed but is trending in the right direction, Poirier’s team wants the contest to be five-rounds according to reports.

Poirier and Chandler have taken shots at one another in the past and at UFC 276 the two had a verbal altercation which only added to the hype of the fight.

Image Credit: @ufc on Twitter

“In his mind, he’s got some ill-will towards me if you will and it’s gonna make it that much easier to knock him out whenever he oversteps if he and I do step inside the Octagon, but I have not lost one minute of sleep thinking about Dustin Poirier, and I’m gonna keep on doing what I’m doing until the fight gets announced and then I’m gonna go out there and finish my next opponent and become UFC champion next year…,” Chandler said at UFC London about Poirier.

“It’s gonna be fun for you guys, it’s gonna be fun for me, it’s gonna be not fun for my wife,” Chandler later added about Poirier. “But I do think he and I are cut from the same cloth. All personal attacks aside, all personal vendettas aside, I respect him, he respects me.”

Dustin Poirier (28-7 and one No Contest) hasn’t fought since December of last year in the main event of UFC 269 where he suffered a submission loss to Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title. Prior to that, he had back-to-back wins over Conor McGregor and a decision win over Dan Hooker. ‘The Diamond’ also has notable wins over Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Pettis, Jim Miller, and Max Holloway.

Michael Chandler (23-7) returned to the win column last time out with a KO win over Tony Ferguson to snap his two-fight skid. He had lost a decision to Justin Gaethje in the Fight of the Year and was knocked out by Charles Oliveria for the vacant lightweight strap. In his UFC debut, he knocked out Dan Hooker.

Who do you think will win, Dustin Poirier or Michael Chandler?