Dustin Poirier raises questions about Khabib Nurmagomedov's status as UFC lightweight champ

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Dustin Poirier recognizes that Khabib Nurmagomedov is the undisputed UFC lightweight champ.

Despite all the machinations of the past year in the 155-pound division, Poirier (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) believes Nurmagomedov’s win at UFC 223 certified him as the man to beat.

But Poirier has misgivings about the fight that earned Nurmagomedov the belt.

“He is the champion; he has the belt,” Poirier, who headlines UFC on FOX 29 opposite Justin Gaethje, told MMAjunkie. But I don’t feel that was a championship fight.”

In the most tumultuous fight week in UFC history, the promotion went through four potential opponents for Nurmagomedov (26-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC) before settling on Al Iaquinta (13-4-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who was outgunned by the Dagestan native yet managed to survive five rounds.

Even after the UFC recruited Iaquinta, the New York State Athletic Commission, which regulated the event this past Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, refused to certify the UFC 223 headliner as a championship bout; Iaquinta came in two-tenths of a pound over the 155-pound limit required of lightweight title fights.

“Nothing against either guy,” Poirier said. “Khabib was on the way and earned himself the spot to get that title shot. But that fight, to me, didn’t feel like a title fight.”

Despite the NYSAC’s stance, the UFC avoided an even stickier situation when Nurmagomedov took home the belt. But the way Poirier sees it, there needs to be a more definitive hurdle for the champion to clear before he’s really the champ.

A hurdle like him.

Now 20 fights into his UFC career, Poirier believes he’s peaking at the right moment for a run that leads to a title. First, he needs to convince the promotion that he’s the guy to bring stability to the division. A win over Gaethje is perhaps his best argument.

The two meet Saturday at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., for the FOX-televised main event.

“I think this is the No. 1 contender fight,” Poirier said. “We’ll see what happens, but the division’s played itself where this fight matters, a lot.”

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