Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier recently cornered his fellow Louisiana fighter, AJ Fletcher, for his debut at UFC Vegas 50 on 12th March 2022 at UFC Apex, Las Vegas.
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AJ Fletcher was an undefeated fighter before his UFC debut. He hailed a professional MMA record of 9-0 under his name. Moreover, ‘The Ghost’ had previously competed in Fury FC and Atlas.
Fletcher impressed the UFC kingpin at the ‘Dana White Contender Series’ with a stunning first-round flying knee knockout win in August 2021 and earned a UFC contract. He faced Matthew Semelsberger in a welterweight bout in his debut.
Interestingly, ‘The Diamond’ accompanied ‘The ghost’ in his UFC debut and also advised him between the rounds. Poirier said, “He is heavy on the front foot.”
“The calf kick is there, but since he is heavy, the counters are gonna be there as well. When he is loading up on that two, I want you to counter him. Just like we did it in the back.”– Poirier added.
However, having the former interim champion in his corner didn’t quite help Fletcher. He suffered a unanimous decision loss in his UFC debut. In fact, it was the first loss ever of his professional fighting career.
Nevertheless, ‘The Ghost’ can look to bounce back into the win column in his next fight. Meanwhile, ‘The Diamond’ is out of the octagon since his last loss in 2021. However, he might return soon.
What is next for Dustin Poirier?
‘The Diamond’ has failed twice in his career to gain the UFC lightweight gold. He recently lost via submission in the third round against the current champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 269.
Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 11: Dustin Poirier punches Charles Oliveira of Brazil in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 269 on December 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Later, Poirier hinted at a move to the welterweight division. He even had an exchange with the fan-favorite Nate Diaz and agreed to fight him on the internet. However, nothing is official yet.
Meanwhile, the former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington has also called out Poirier after his recent win at UFC 272. However, the Louisiana native isn’t interested in fighting Covington.
Hence, we might not see this fight come to fruition. There are a lot of speculations about Poirier’s next move. However, fans will have to wait for any official statement from either the UFC or the Louisiana native.
What are your thoughts on Poirier accompanying AJ Fletcher? What do you think is next for Poirier? Let us know in the comments below.
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