Diego Ferreira: Don't read too much into Dustin Poirier's weight jump

UFC lightweight Diego Ferreira doesn’t make much of Dustin Poirier’s move into his weight class.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal, because the technique is still the same,” Ferreira (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who meets Poirier (16-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 63, told MMAjunkie. Like all of the fights at Fairfax, Va.’s Patriot Center, it airs on FOX Sports 1.

Poirier, 26, announced this past December his move from the featherweight division to the lightweight division, citing a walk-around weight of 180 pounds and a brutal cut to 145 pounds as the reason for the change.

As a featherweight, Poirier was considered a standout in the division. Yet he lost several high-profile bouts, including a first-round TKO loss this past September to Conor McGregor, that might have otherwise earned him title consideration.

One month later, the UFC paired Poirier with Ferreira, who recently encountered his first professional setback. Ferreira, who won his first 11 pro bouts before suffering a decision loss this past October to standout Beneil Dariush, would rather give McGregor credit for his performance than declare Poirier over the hill.

“I think McGregor, the guy has been putting on good shows,” Ferreira said. “That’s the guy, McGregor. What he talks, he backs it up in the cage. It’s really incredible what the guy is doing.”

Ferreira expects to perform better on Saturday because he’s had more time to prepare for his fight. But a tough fight lies ahead. The loser of the fight faces a long road to redemption.

Check out the above video as Ferreira talks about his loss, his thoughts on Poirier, and more.

For more on UFC Fight Night 63, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.