Issue 194

February 2021

UFC 257 was the night of the lightweights. It marked the return to action of "The Notorious" Conor McGregor, against Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, while the co-main event saw the introduction, finally, of Michael Chandler, who made his UFC debut against Dan Hooker. The results rocked the foundations of the division and all the top players have opportunities in front of them.

Poirier scored a career-high knockout victory over McGregor, and Chandler announced his presence with a first-round TKO of Hooker. The UFC lightweight division is overflowing with talent, and there is a myriad of paths that the UFC can take with the matchups to come as they look to crown a new king at 155 pounds.

The first big question to address is who gets the next title shot. With Khabib Nurmagomedov now retired, the throne is empty and a champion needs to be crowned. The obvious first name on a bout sheet for the vacant strap surely has to be Poirier. For some, "The Diamond" walks the realm of the 155-pound division as its uncrowned king. But to hold the title, you first have to win it.

A more difficult task is picking Poirier's dance partner. The two fighters that make the most sense are either Chandler or Charles Oliveira. "Do Bronx" may well have the strongest claim to a title shot, thanks to his eight-fight win streak, with seven of those wins coming via finish. His most recent victory, over former interim champ Tony Ferguson, has likely pushed him to the front of the lightweight queue.

However, Chandler also offers a compelling option. The multi-time Bellator champion cuts a superb promo, and made a spectacular arrival with his first-round blitzing of Hooker. He's the sort of fighter fans love to watch, and he'd be an exciting challenger for a world title. But, at just 1-0 under the UFC banner, has he done enough to warrant a shot over Oliveira?

The rankings suggest that Poirier vs. Oliveira should be the fight. However, rankings are merely a guide, and the UFC has sole discretion on how it books its title fights. that means McGregor, despite his defeat, might not be out of the conversation.

McGregor had his moments against Poirier, as he stung "The Diamond" with a solid left hand and a sharp jab. His backers would suggest that, if his flow hadn’t been compromised by ring rust, the result may have turned out differently.

McGregor also has A-list drawing power. The UFC's biggest superstar has significant pull, no matter where you place him. Hence, a trilogy fight with Poirier could potentially usurp even a Poirier title fight in the UFC's plans. There's a ready-made narrative, with the series between the pair standing even at one win apiece, with both holding a stoppage win over the other. Whether it's next, or further down the line, that trilogy surely has to be finished.

Another trilogy that could play out at 155 involves another McGregor matchup, with his long-awaited third meeting with Nate Diaz still waiting to be booked. If the UFC took that tack, that would free up Poirier to chase divisional gold, and a possible bout with Oliveira.

Finally, don't count out "The Eagle" just yet. Khabib may have announced his retirement, but we've seen countless fighters call it a career, only to return months later, desperate to scratch their competitive itch. Khabib brought the curtain down on his career at 29-0 – wouldn't 30-0 look much nicer on the resume? 

With options galore, who knows how the UFC lightweight division will play out moving forward. What is clear is that we are blessed to be in a golden era for the 155-pound division. And, with a crop of elite-level talents all vying for greatness in the same weight class, a plethora of must-see matchups surely await in the UFC's most talent-stacked weight division.