(L-R) Opponents Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor pose face off for media during the UFC 257 press conference event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 21, 2021 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The boss is actively weighing in the options for setting up a backup fighter for the trilogy bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier
McGregor and Poirier are set to face off at UFC 264 on the 10th of July. Their rivalry score currently stands at 1-1, after Poirier won the rematch at UFC 257, earlier this year.
The winner of this fight will get to fight Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title.
The recent development is that UFC President Dana White is on the lookout for a possible backup fighter for the marquee clash.
In an interview with Tom Taylor of Bleacher Report, White claimed that there was nothing wrong with the two fighters, and that he was just looking to make the card safe by getting a backup.
White said:
“I’m actually looking for someone right now to be the backup on that card. Nobody’s jumping out. Nobody’s kicking down my door.” [via Bleacher Report]
Poirier and McGregor have never had any trouble making weight. In fact the pair have never pulled out of a fight in the UFC.
White has a whole lot of fighters to chose a backup from. The first fighter he would be looking at is Justin Gaethje. Gaethje hasn’t fought since his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254.
A win for Gaethje might earn him another title shot as well, and he deserves every bit of it.
Another option might be Beneil Dariush who is the number 3 ranked lightweight contender. Though the Iranian has been asking for a title shot straight away, a fight against Poirier would be the key to what he desires.
Besides this there are a few others like Rafael dos Anjos, Islam Makhachev; but they are ranked much lower than Poirier.
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