Madison Square Garden is reportedly getting an explosive lightweight bout on Nov. 12.
Ariel Helwani reported Wednesday on "The MMA Hour" Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler are set to clash at UFC 281. Helwani said on his show the fight "is not a done deal just yet," but it's a matchup fans have been excited for, especially after seeing the two having to be restrained at UFC 276 on July 2.
The two have had bad blood since Chandler signed with UFC on Sep. 17, 2020 from Bellator. However, it now appears the two lightweight fighters will get their chance at each other in the cage.
DraftKings Sportsbook has opening odds for the reported bout at MSG, and Poirier has opened as a -145 favorite. Chandler opened as a +125 underdog. This means a $100 bet on Poirier would pay out $168.97, and a $100 bet on Chandler would pay out $225.
Poirier's last fight came against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 on Dec. 11, 2021 for the UFC Lightweight Championship. "The Diamond" lost the bout, tapping out to a rear-naked choke. Prior to the fight, Poirier had come off TKO wins over Conor McGregor.
Chandler's last fight was a knockout win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 on May 7. The fight earned "Performance of the Night" honors. Chandler has also fought Oliveira for the UFC Lightweight Championship but lost via TKO at UFC 262 on May 15, 2021.
The winner of Poirier versus Chandler will likely get another shot at the lightweight title and Oliveira, who last beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 274.
