Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks if Dustin Poirier can drag Charles Oliveira to the latter rounds, he’ll prevail.
Poirier (28-6 MMA, 20-5 UFC) challenges lightweight champion Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) in the main event of UFC 269 on Dec. 11 in his second attempt at a UFC title after falling short to Nurmagomedov in September 2019.
Poirier’s head coach, Mike Brown, explained that there are some “red-zone danger areas” “The Diamond” has to worry about when facing a prolific finisher like Oliveira, and former champion Nurmagomedov agrees.
“You cannot go to the Charles Oliveira red zone,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN. “This guy is a real finisher. He’s very dangerous, and I think if Dustin Poirier takes him to the deep ocean like he told us, I think he’s going to win. But if you rush, I think Charles Oliveira is going to have a chance. My opinion: It’s 60-40 (percent) I think, to Dustin Poirier.
“Because of his cardio and heart, it’s my opinion. But Charles is a very, very dangerous opponent and he knows right now he’s the real champion and because he has nine-win streak. He beat Tony Ferguson, he finished eight guys and it’s a very interesting fight for me. I think 60-40 Dustin Poirier.”
Since getting submitted by Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, Poirier has picked up three straight wins over Dan Hooker and Conor McGregor twice. Oliveira hasn’t lost in almost four years, rallying stats that have placed him as the UFC’s all time leader in both finishes and submission wins.
