Poirier: Topuria deserves lightweight title shot 'right off the bat'

Lightweight contender Dustin Poirier believes the UFC should give featherweight champion Ilia Topuria an immediate shot at Islam Makhachev's title.

UFC CEO Dana White announced last week that Topuria was vacating the 145-pound belt to move up to 155 pounds.

"It's tough to say, especially with all the contenders (and) how the lightweight division's been over the last few years," Poirier told MMA Fighting's Jose Youngs when asked if Topuria should face Makhachev in his next Octagon appearance. "But with a guy like him, vacating the belt and moving up, finishing Max Holloway the way he did, I would give him a crack at the lightweight title right off the bat."

White said after UFC Seattle this past weekend that Topuria wasn't guaranteed a title shot against Makhachev, noting there were "other possibilities" for the 28-year-old's next fight.

Makhachev's manager, Rizvan Magomedov, said last week on X that he believes Topuria should have to beat someone like Poirier or Charles OIiveira to prove he's a "legit" lightweight before challenging Makhachev for the title. However, Makhachev's coach, Javier Mendez, said the Dagestani wouldn't reject a matchup with Topuria if the UFC offered it to him.

Topuria captured the featherweight title a year ago with a knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 and then finished Max Holloway in his first defense at UFC 308 last October.

Poirier praised Topuria for deciding to vacate the title - and not hold onto it - in his pursuit of the lightweight throne.

"It's honorable to vacate the belt, to not hold up the division when guys have been working so hard to get their shot at the title," Poirier said. "He's doing it the right way."