Chael Sonnen Believes Dustin Poirier Isn’t Aiming To Become Champion Anymore in Favor of Conor McGregor Status

After winning the fight against Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier caught the attention of fans and fighters alike. The UFC 281 fights not only entertained but also gave the fans a new favorite. However, the former interim UFC lightweight champion has other goals, rather than the championship title.

Recently, Chael Sonnen commented on Poirier’s intention of gaining greater popularity. He claimed that the fighter desires to gain the Conor McGregor level of popularity where losses didn’t matter. 

Dustin Poirier made Michael Chandler submit within the third round in UFC 281. The 33-year-old fighter is on every MMA fans’ mind. Claiming victory over heavy names like Conor McGregor, Max Holloway, Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje, the ‘Diamond’ became a fan favorite. However, Sonnen believed that the fighter has other goals than simply reclaiming the championship title.

Chael Sonnen thinks ‘Diamond’ aims for the Conor McGregor status

Chael Sonnen revealed his opinion about Poirier’s ambition on his talk show, ‘Beyond the Fight’. The ‘American Gangster’ opined that the ‘Diamond’ is not on a mission to be a champion. He said, “Dustin Poirier right now is not on a mission to be champion. … Dustin Poirier’s No. 1 goal right now is not to reclaim his championship.”

“He wants to go into a category. It’s the elite of the elite. It’s a category so high that when you start training, you don’t even set a goal to do. … There’s one more category above champion – one category, and that is when the outcome of your fight doesn’t matter.”

Furthermore, he added an explanation to his words. He explained that Poirier now wished to attain a level of popularity where the outcome of the bouts didn’t matter. Nonetheless, the tickets would sell out when the next fight would be announced. Sonnen believed Poirier wanted popularity where even a loss would result in a fight in the main event.

He said, “Even if you’re coming off of a loss, your next fight will be the main event. I’m talking about a Conor McGregor status.”

Dustin Poirier wants big fights

Additionally, the former mixed martial artist claimed that Poirier wanted to do super fights. Sonnen said, “He wants to do super fights, he wants to do massive fights and the title be damned. He’s already got one.”

Read More: After Conquering the ‘Violence Triangle’ Dustin Poirier Shuts Down the Idea of a Fight Against a Top Ranked Lightweight

Surprisingly, Sonnen is not far away from the truth. In an interview on The MMA Hour, Poirier said that he wanted big and fun fights. When the interviewer asked what the fighter wanted for his next fight, he simply replied, “Big fights. Fun fights.” Furthermore, when asked whether a fight with Beneil Dariush interested or excited him, the reply was plain denial.

“Not really, honestly. No disrespect to Beneil, a great fighter, you know,” he answered, “That one’s not like super exciting when I think about it.” Although Poirier stated his respect for Dariush, it was clear that his interests lie elsewhere. With all his wins against the big names, it is not surprising for him taking the road to fame.

Watch This Story: 5 Times Dustin Poirier Brutalized His Opponents Inside The Octagon

What are your thoughts on Poirier’s goal, right now? Let us know in the comments down below.