UFC 230’s matchup between Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz appears to be an obvious title eliminator for the lightweight division. Poirier is riding a streak of highlight-reel stoppage wins, while Diaz, despite his two-year layoff, remains the second-biggest star in the weight class at a time when the UFC’s lusting for star power is the greatest its ever been.
It’d be easy to assume the winner of Poirier vs. Diaz will earn the right to challenge the winner of UFC 229’s blockbuster title fight between lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and returning superstar Conor McGregor.