Dustin Poirier praises “incredible” Charles Oliveira, calls Michael Chandler a “good fighter”

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier praised divisional rivals Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler for their recent performances.

Oliveira has won eight straight fights and, back at UFC 256, he picked up the biggest win of his career when he defeated Tony Ferguson via lopsided decision. As for Chandler, he is set to make his UFC debut in 2021 after the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion signed with the world’s leading MMA promotion as a free agent this year. Oliveira is a ranked fighter and Chandler will soon join him in the top-15 of what UFC president Dana White says is the UFC’s strongest division.

Another one of the best lightweights in the world is Poirier, who on January 23 meets Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 257 on Fight Island. Speaking to BT Sport, Poirier was asked about the state of the lightweight division. Though he knows they are rivals inside the Octagon, Poirier couldn’t help but praise Oliveira for his win streak and give Chandler props for reaching his goal of fighting in the UFC.

“Lightweight is getting more interesting now with Charles Oliviera looking incredible. He’s a long-time vet, he’s got a lot to prove. He’s paid his dues and it’s paying off,” Poirier said of Oliveira.

“I became happy for Michael Chandler. Good for him to finally get an opportunity to maybe make the money he’s looking to make and fight what everyone thinks are the best guys in the world, cause he was doing great before. He was beating tough guys. He’s a good fighter. But here’s an opportunity to finish his career in the biggest organization in the world and prove his worth to the people who say Bellator is the b-leagues or whatever they say. I was just happy for him. Good for him, because it seems like he’s doing it right.”

With Poirier potentially fighting McGregor for a belt at UFC 257, he will have to keep his eye on what the rest of the fighters in the lightweight division are doing and both Oliveira and Chandler are making a lot of noise. After winning his eighth straight fight over Ferguson, Oliveira called for a title shot at 155lbs. As for Chandler, beating Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 257 could be enough to push him immediately into the title talks of the UFC’s most competitive weight class.

Do you think we will see Dustin Poirier fight Charles Oliveira or Michael Chandler in 2021?