‘I’m Looking for a Backup’- Dana White Talks Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier Backup Concerns

UFC President Dana White sat down exclusively with Bleacher Report and ran through a gauntlet of topics related to MMA. The UFC is gearing up for yet another exciting month of fights as well as the return of TUF. However, amidst all the occurrences set to take place in June, UFC 264 in July has been earmarked.

Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor go to war for the third time on that card in front of a crowd. Chiefly, the stakes are massively high and Dana White revealed that a backup was going to be installed for that fight. The long-time company boss is looking to play it safe given the magnitude of the event being planned.

“I’m actually looking for someone right now to be the backup on that card,” he said. “Nobody’s jumping out. Nobody’s kicking down my door.”

It’s interesting to note that Dana White doesn’t seem all too impressed with the current crop of lightweights who could potentially jump in. Unfortunately, named fighters like Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson are coming off losses and can’t be given a spot. And newer entrants into the top five like Beneil Dariush don’t have the elevated profile for such a card.

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UFC 264: Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor: All in or nothing

There’s a sudden dip in the star power at lightweight following a long reign of high-profile champions and contenders. While the newer crop of elite fighters is undoubtedly talented, they’re yet to capture the attention of the masses. Consider the champ, Charles Oliveira, who isn’t as recognizable a figure as Khabib Nurmagomedov or Conor McGregor to the average fan.

However, all that could change as the winner of Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor will more than likely fight for the belt. As the champ, ‘Do Bronx’ can make a massive impact in his first title defense with a win.

Additionally, the other divisional contenders will look to use UFC 264’s timeline as a stopgap to enter contention themselves. The general consensus is that the lightweight belt is about to jump around and to the victor go the spoils.

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