Michael Chandler doesn’t think welterweight would be a smart move for Dustin Poirier.
Following his knockout loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291, former interim lightweight champion and perennial lightweight contender Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) threw out the idea of moving up to 170 pounds, something he’s been contemplating for years.
But having recently competed against Poirier in a submission loss at UFC 281, Chandler doesn’t believe Poirier has the size for welterweight.
“Depending on how you want to think about this, I say tap out,” Chandler said on ESPN’s “DC & RC.” “If I’m Dustin Poirier or Dustin Poirier’s management, he’s not a big 155’er. Some people would say he could make 145.
“I say case in point, when somebody pulled out of the fight – it was Tony Ferguson, Nate Diaz, that whole debacle with (Khamzat) Chimaev, he stepped on the scale, took a picture of himself, he was in the 170s. I’m about 190 right now. He’s not a big lightweight. I don’t think it’s smart for him to go up to 170. You get hit with a 170-pound punch, it’s a lot harder than 155. Dustin, stay at 155.”
Co-host Daniel Cormier disagreed with Chandler and poked fun at him for likely fighting Conor McGregor in a welterweight bout. But Chandler said former UFC featherweight and lightweight champ McGregor is not a natural welterweight.
“I’m fighting a 145 pounder at 170,” Chandler said. “Conor McGregor has the bone density of a yellow bellied sapsucker, the bone density of an albatross. Conor McGregor is a natural 145 pounder. So, if I want to fight him at 170, I’m going to be bigger than Conor at 170. That’s why I’m fighting him at 170.”
