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Dustin Poirier says Max Holloway is the most skilled opponent he has defeated

Former Interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier reveals that former featherweight champion Max Holloway is the most skilled opponent he has ever fought and defeated.

Dustin Poirier is one of the honest fighters in the UFC as he has never shielded away from appreciating his opponents for their fighting skills. Dustin recently revealed that the most skilled opponent he has ever faced in his long thought fighting career is none other than the former UFC’s featherweight champion Max Holloway. Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway fought twice against each other and both the fights went to Dustin.

The duo first fought at UFC 143 in 1012. Poirier was expected to face Erik Koch in February at UFC 143. But, Koch pulled out of the fight, due to an injury, and was replaced by Ricardo Lamas. Lamas had to withdraw from the fight with an injury just two weeks before the fight. That’s when Max Holloway was given the opportunity to fight Poirier in his debut UFC match. Max went on to lose the fight by a first-round armbar finish.

The pair once again met at UFC 236 when Holloway decided to step up to the lightweight division and face Dustin for the interim lightweight championship as the champion Khabib was out for few months due to the suspension he received after UFC 229. The fight was a back and forth war and both the fighter gave everything they had. It was Poirier’s power that kept him ahead in the fight but Holloway was not going anywhere. Dustin was then declared the winner by the judge’s decision.

In the recent Q/A session, Dustin was asked about the most skilled opponent he has ever fought to which he responded by taking Max Holloway’s name.

“Probably Max Holloway… He matched the grit that I bring, which I don’t think is easy to do, and his durability was amazing,” Poirier said on an ESPN+ Q&A. “He took some heavy shots, I knew he was hurt multiple times, and every time the bell rang, he answered it. He came out ready to scrap and I’m thankful for it, because I learned a lot in that fight.”

Dustin Poirier is now waiting for his next fight to be announced which most certainly will be for the title against the UFC Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira but if not then definitely UFC has something big planned up for him.

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