Big questions after UFC 291 and Bellator x Rizin 2 — What’s next for
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The final week of July was huge in combat sports, from UFC 291 in Salt Lake City to a rare Bellator vs. Rizin event across the globe in Japan.
The biggest news maker had to be Justin Gaethje, who added yet another chapter to his highlight reel by knocking out Dustin Poirier in the second round of their BMF title fight. And Alex Pereira squeaked by a former light heavyweight champion, so he has eyes on adding a second belt to his résumé.
But consequential questions remain in the sport, as the light heavyweight division is a mess and a pivotal men’s bantamweight matchup between Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font looms on Saturday. ESPN’s MMA correspondents Marc Raimondi, Jeff Wagenheim and Brett Okamoto address those storylines and more, including the future of “The Diamond.”
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Dustin Poirier was on the brink of another title shot, so where does he go from here?
Raimondi: With one head kick from Gaethje, Poirier finds himself in an unenviable position that many popular veterans do toward the end of great careers. In recent fights, the slick southpaw from Louisiana has lost to Gaethje and Charles Oliveira, a pair of top lightweight contenders. That leaves his path toward a title fight unclear, so the UFC will likely start offering Poirier young and talented opponents like Rafael Fiziev and Arman Tsarukyan.
It’s hard to use the “G” word when it comes to someone who finished Conor McGregor in back-to-back fights just two years ago. But Poirier is edging dangerously close to gatekeeper territory near the top of the UFC lightweight division. That is not where he wants to be. And he said as much in the postfight news conference at UFC 291. Poirier said he knows he has a lot left in the tank and that he can still hang with the up-and-coming guys at American Top Team. But he isn’t…
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