October 04, (THEWILL) – Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Dustin Poirier will have the opportunity to claim UFC gold after accepting to fight for the lightweight title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 on Saturday, December 11.
Poirier had revealed earlier that the matchup had been in the works for weeks and that there was “a good chance” it would materialise. The bout is now official as the 32-year-old lightweight fighter himself tweeted on social media on Sunday.
Poirier tweeted, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”
Poirier’s representatives also confirmed that he has formally committed to fighting for the title in December.
Poirier, who has been fighting professionally since 2009, would top off an incredible year with a win over Oliveira. As THEWILL reported in January, at UFC 257, the Louisiana native began 2021 by knocking out Conor McGregor.
It only got better when Poirier then went on to defeat McGregor by TKO at UFC 264 in July, a fight that ended when McGregor suffered a major leg injury in the first round, as THEWILL reported.
Poirier will make his second try at an undisputed UFC belt at UFC 269. In September 2019, he faced former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and lost by submission. Poirier has held the interim championship in the UFC before, but never the undisputed crown.
In May, the 31-year-old Oliveira, Poirier’s opponent, knocked out Michael Chandler to win the vacant UFC title. Oliveira, who has a professional career record of 31 wins and eight losses and who fights out of Brazil, is on a nine-fight winning streak with eight finishes.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
