After learning of Charles Oliveira’s injury, former UFC interim lightweight titleholder Dustin Porier was convinced for 24 hours that he would be the next opponent for the division’s reigning champion, Islam Makhachev.
“That’s exactly what happened,” the American told MMA Fighting. “I think they called me 12 days before the fight. I had just landed in South Florida where I have an apartment. I flew down to check out the condo and see a team I hadn’t seen in a while.”
“So I walk into the apartment, unpack my bags, and my phone rings. I see it’s Hunter Campbell, and that immediately gets me excited. I pick up the phone and say, ‘This is just perfect timing – interesting how life works.’ I just landed in Florida, my whole team is here, my coaches are in town, and everything coincided for a reason. Hunter asked me how much I weigh and I told him I could make weight in 11 days. He told me to give it one day and I thought the matter was settled.”
“The next day he didn’t call, so I texted him, ‘Hey bro, I said yes, my team is here, we’re ready to get to work – it needs to be done ASAP,’ but he continued to remain silent.” but he continued to remain silent. And then the news started to come out. Probably when I agreed, they were waiting to hear back from Alexander Volkanovski whether or not he would accept the fight”
On October 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, Islam Makhachev made his second successful defense of the UFC lightweight title, knocking out Alexander Volkanovski, who holds the UFC featherweight championship belt, in the first round.
Dustin Porier last stepped into the octagon in July of this year, losing a potential contender’s bout by second-round knockout to fellow countryman Justin Gaethje.
Source: https://fighttime.ru/news/item/33093-dastin-pore-rasskazal-o-nesostoyavshemsya-poedinke-s-islamom-makhachevym.html?rand=19907
