Dustin Poirier pays rare compliment to Conor McGregor in UFC return prediction

Since injuring his leg in a second straight loss to his opponent Poirier in July 2021, McGregor has not competed. The Irishman plans to make a comeback this year and is anticipated to look for bouts at 170 pounds.

UFC contender Chandler wants to be the first to take on McGregor after his recovery. He even wants to move up to 170 pounds to get the match. Since Poirier has competed against the both of them in the octagon, he thinks that McGregor would be able to win against Chandler.

When asked about a prospective bout between his two former rivals, Poirier said in an interview with Eddie Mercado ,

“I would favour Conor [in McGregor v Chandler]. I think Chandler’s very hittable, Conor’s timing, you know. We’ll see with the layoff, [that] too might be a big factor for Conor, but yeah, I would pick Conor still in this one.”

“Conor’s longer than him, Chandler slows down, [if] he does wrestle heavy to avoid the striking with Conor, he’s going to slow down a little bit, and then he’ll be more in front of Conor, and able to get touched. I would put money on Conor if the fight happens.”

In his previous four bouts, McGregor has only managed one victory.

He suffered from two losses to Poirier and one to his longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018. His most recent victory came against Donald Cerrone at 170 pounds. This is where he will probably make a comeback after bulking up.

When Chandler called him out, McGregor personally welcomed it on social media.

Chandler spoke to ESPN and said:

“People will say I’m chasing the Red Panty Night, and I’m chasing the payday. And yes, that’s a part of it, it’s always going to be a part of the conversation that people talk about when you’re fighting Conor McGregor, but I want battlegrounds of epic proportions. I want the brightest lights. I want the biggest platforms. And what is bigger than fighting Conor McGregor?”

“And at this point, him coming back, what is bigger than Conor McGregor stepping into the octagon with, I’ve got to be the most electrifying man in the UFC right now? It’s the biggest fight to make, it’s the most PPV sales that can be made right now, at this current juncture, in the entire world of MMA, I think Conor knows it, I think the UFC knows it, and I think it’s going to happen International Fight Week of 2023.”