Dustin Poirier predicts 'OG' UFC 303 fighter will earn massive underdog win in the 'Fight of the Night'
06/28/2024 07:34 AM
Fan favorite lightweight veteran Dustin Poirier has made a bold prediction for which UFC 303 battle will be the 'Fight of the Night'.
With so many outstanding finishers gracing the UFC 303 PPV card this weekend in Las Vegas, Dana White will be hard-pressed to figure out which fight deserves to win an extra $50,000 bonus.
Luckily, White confirmed at the press conference that he'll be offering up two separate 'Fight of the Night' bonuses at the T-Mobile Arena, and Dustin 'The Diamond' Poirier thinks he knows who'll win one of them already.
Dustin Poirier predicts underdog will win 'Fight of the Night' bonus
Dustin Poirier joins the ESPN broadcast team for just the second time in his career this week, providing personal insights and analysis from his own experience fighting for championship gold and glory.
Following the UFC 303 pre-fight press conference, 'The Diamond' was asked about his thoughts regarding the new co-main event of this weekend's PPV between featherweights Brian 'T-City' Ortega and Diego Lopes.
"I think when Brian Ortega is healthy and he's in these fights, he can beat anybody in the world," said the fan-favorite veteran, adding "I've been a fan of him for a long time and this fight right here is actually my pick for Fight of the Night."
Poirier explained that even when he's being battered and bruised from pillar to post, "Brian Ortega is never out of a fight," – pointing to when 'T-City' came back from a brutal knockdown in the first round in his recent rematch with Yair Rodriguez to win via third-round submission.
"He can strike with the best of them, has great Jiu-Jitsu and a never-say-die attitude… He's never out a fight and he's standing across from a guy who's trying to make a name for himself.
"That's why I think this matchup is so fun because this is going to be a standup fight, it's going to be a ground fight – you're going to get all of Mixed Martial Arts."
Ultimately, the former UFC interim lightweight champion revealed that he's predicting a Brian Ortega victory in the co-main event of UFC 303; with the bookie's having 'T-City' as a slight underdog to the surging Brazilian.
"I'm going with the OG; I just feel like Brian Ortega has been in there with the who's-who of the 145lb division [whereas] this has been a fast rise for Diego, so we got to see [how it unfolds]."
Whilst 'The Diamond' is indeed siding with the OG to earn the underdog win, he did also acknowledge that victory for Lopes could see him enter featherweight title contention.
"This guy comes out fast, he can finish you on the feet [and] finish you on the ground and let me tell you what, if he comes out here and beats a healthy Brian Ortega on an International Fight Week card, you're looking at a [title] contender."
Ortega doesn't believe victory at UFC 303 will result in title shot
Looking at the top of the UFC featherweight rankings, there are only two fighters between Ortega at #3 and champion Ilia Topuria: Those being Alexander 'The Great' Volkanovski (#1), and Max 'Blessed' Holloway (#2).
Despite being within touching distance of another shot at undisputed UFC gold, Ortega doesn't believe that he'll get that opportunity anytime soon – even with a viral finish this weekend over Lopes.
Speaking to Spinning Backfist, Ortega explained "I'm not going to fight for a title anytime soon so I'm just going to have fun with my career, it's just what it is – not happening.
"I'm taking a fight on short notice, I say yes to anything that's scary and exciting but it's more the UFC side of it and the promises that they have with other fighters."
Ortega then shared that the issue with his potential title shot is because both Holloway and Volkanovski have already received assurances that they'd be next in line.
"You got to remember that Max has a fight with Topuria and then after that Volk has a guaranteed rematch with any champion so it could be Topuria versus Volk 2 or Max vs Volk 4. And let's be honest, by the time that happens, it's not going to be till next year."
Ortega also recently teased that whilst he awaits a shot at whoever holds the 145lb belt by the time the schedule opens, he could move up to lightweight in order to remain active.
