While Alexander
Volkanovski was lauded for stepping up on short notice to face
Islam
Makhachev for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title at UFC 294, it
seems he was not the only contender who accepted the offer.
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The promotion was left scrambling after Makhachev’s scheduled
opponent, Charles
Oliveira, pulled out due to a severe cut suffered in sparring
on Oct. 10, just 11 days before the fight. The next day, it was
announced that Oliveira had been replaced by featherweight champ
Volkanovski, but in the meantime, the UFC had apparently been
weighing its options, as former interim lightweight champ Dustin
Poirier (29-8) claims he received a call from UFC Chief
Business Officer Hunter
Campbell around the same time asking if he could make weight on
short notice. According to “The Diamond,” he agreed and was very
excited at the possibility, though Campbell didn’t give him any
assurances. Poirier never received the call back as he believes the
Las Vegas-based promotion was just waiting on Volkanovski to
commit. The Louisiana native recently told MMA
Fighting:
“So, I get back to my condo, I’m unpacking my bags and my phone
rings. I see it’s Hunter, and I’m all jacked up on Celsius. I
answer the phone, let’s go. I said, ‘What perfect timing. This is
how life works.’ I just landed in Florida. My whole team is here,
my coaches are in town, this happened for a reason. He asked me my
weight, and I [told him I] can make the weight in 11 days, no
problem. I thought that was it. He told me [to] give him one
day.”
“So, the next day I didn’t hear back. I’m like, ‘Hey, bro, I said,
yes, let’s go I got my team here, let’s book these flights. I need
to get out there ASAP.’ Then he kept quiet for a while, and then
all the news started breaking. But he didn’t tell me, ‘Hey, you’re
the guy.’ He asked me if I would do it. I said yes, he told me to
give him one day, and I guess he was waiting on Alexander to
commit.”
Currently ranked No. 3 at lightweight, Poirier is coming off a
Round 2 knockout loss against Justin
Gaethje in July at UFC 291, when the two squared off for the
BMF Belt. The 34-year-old is 1-2 in his last three fights, which
include a failed title bid against Oliveira followed by a
submission win over Michael
Chandler in an iconic battle last November at UFC 281.