5 reasons why Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier is such a good matchup

Dustin Poirier is set to have his second shot at undisputed gold this weekend when he takes on reigning UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. They will square off at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the main event of UFC 269.

Analysts and fans alike have been salivating at the stylistic matchup of this lightweight title fight. Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira have both been in the UFC for a very long time, enduring arduous journeys leading up to this monumental fight in Las Vegas.

Many perceive Dustin Poirier to be the "uncrowned champ" of the lightweight division. ‘The Diamond’ could have fought for the title earlier in the year, but opted to take on Conor McGregor instead. Hence, Michael Chandler took on Oliveira for the belt, with the Brazilian emerging victorious.

Could Charles Oliveira silence the masses and defeat the consensus best lightweight in the world? Will Dustin Poirier finally get his hands on undisputed UFC gold? Who will come out on top?

Considering how evenly matched this lightweight clash is, we thought we’d discuss five reasons why Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier is such a good matchup.

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#5. Oliveira and Poirier have had similar paths to the title

Both Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier have been in the UFC for more than a decade.

Oliveira joined the promotion in 2010 with a reputation for being an extremely skilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist.

He lived up to the hype on his promotional debut, submitting Darren Elkins just 41 seconds into the first round. He earned a ‘Submission of the Night’ bonus for his efforts and his performance set the precedent for what was to come in the career of ‘Do Bronx’.

He plied his trade in the featherweight division between 2012 and 2017, but missed weight on numerous occasions. The Brazilian went 7-5 at 145 lbs before opting to make a permanent move to the lightweight division. Since moving up, he has gone 10-1 at 155 lbs, with his lone defeat coming against Paul Felder in 2017.

Currently riding a 9-fight win streak, Oliveira owns the best active winning streak in the division.

Dustin Poirier joined the UFC in 2011 as part of the promotion’s absorption of the WEC roster. He made his promotional debut against Josh Grispi at UFC 125, securing a unanimous decision victory. He competed in the featherweight division for the next three years, before opting to move up to the lightweight division in 2014.

Poirier famously struggled with the grueling weight cut down to 145 lbs. A first-round knockout at the hands of a rising Conor McGregor prompted ‘The Diamond’ to move up to 155 lbs and compete in a slightly more natural weight class.

Over the next seven years, he established himself as one of the best lightweights in the world with wins over Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, Dan Hooker and Conor McGregor (twice).

Watch Dustin Poirier discuss his UFC journey below:

Both Oliveira and Poirier had to suffer huge setbacks in order to grow as fighters. Going through those dark trenches and coming out on the other side allowed both fighters to develop the mentality of a champion.

#4. Both Oliveira and Poirier are in their prime

Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier are both 32 years old. The duo have been fighting in the UFC for the majority of their careers and have experienced incredible highs and terrible lows en route to their upcoming championship fight at UFC 269.

Many believe that the ‘prime’ of a fighter’s career is in effect in his/her late twenties or early thirties. Fighters in their early-to-mid-twenties tend to have a lot more physical and mental growth to undergo, while those in their mid-to-late-thirties tend to slow down and lose their speed and durability.

Daniel Cormier recently broke down how both Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier are "at the height of their powers". In a video posted to his YouTube channel, the former two-division champion had this to say regarding the matchup:

"We've got two dudes that are as good as they come at lightweight fighting for the title at the height of their powers. They're both at the height of their powers. You fight Dustin Poirier last year, or two years ago when Khabib [Nurmagomedov] beat him, he might be a little bit unsure of himself. But after these two wins over [Conor] McGregor, he's never been more confident and he's getting his title shot right now. Charles Oliveira, you fight him back in the day, when Paul Felder beat him, the next guy might have had a chance. But once you've reeled off 10, 11 in a row, those thoughts of being beat, those are gone."

Watch Daniel Cormier preview the UFC 269 main event between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier below:

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#3. Both Oliveira and Poirier are extremely well-rounded

Both Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier came into the UFC with a very limited set of skills. Poirier had built a reputation in the WEC as a tough brawler with powerful hooks, while Oliveira joined the promotion as an elite-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner.

After spending more than a decade in the world’s premier MMA organization, both fighters have evolved into well-rounded martial artists. Oliveira has sharpened his striking skills ten-fold over the years and has 9 KO/TKO victories on his record.

His much-improved stand-up game was on display when he won the title against Michael Chandler earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Dustin Poirier is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt himself, who has amassed seven submission victories in his professional MMA career. ‘The Diamond’ is especially adept at triangles, armbars and D’arce chokes. His most notable submission wins came against the likes of Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis.

Both fighters have very few holes in their game. If anything, Poirier’s takedown defense appears to be the only crack in ‘The Diamond’s armor. Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira’s lack of experience in the championship rounds could haunt the Brazilian at UFC 269. Nevertheless, the stylistic matchup will be a sight to behold.

#2. Both Oliveira and Poirier are true martial artists

Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier are among the most likable and respectful athletes in the sport. The two lightweights are the true embodiments of what it means to be a martial artist.

In a sport like MMA, fighters feel the need to instigate and antagonize their opponents. Fighters like Conor McGregor, Colby Covington, Dominick Cruz, Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen have employed various forms of mental warfare leading up to a fight.

The intention is to throw their opponents off their game and fight in an emotional manner, potentially causing mistakes and lapses of judgment.

However, there is something special about a matchup between two individuals who truly respect one another. No drama and no trash talk. Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier have the utmost respect for each other’s journeys and skills.

While the MMA community continues to underestimate Oliveira, Poirier is under no illusions regarding the dangers posed by the Brazilian. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Poirier had this to say about his opponent:

“I’m not here to put anybody down or talk bad about people. Man, people love to try to shit on people. Man, raise the guy [Charles Oliveira] up. He’s the world champion.”

Watch Dustin Poirier's full interview on The MMA Hour below:

Oliveira, in an interview with the UFC, had this to say about his American counterpart:

"Dustin is a guy who deserves all the respect in the world, but he’s not taking the belt. I’m 100 percent ready. The belt is staying with me.”

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#1. Both Oliveira and Poirier are finishers

Dustin Poirier is undoubtedly one of the hardest punchers in the division. Out of the 28 wins in his professional career so far, 14 have come via TKO/KO.

En route to his interim title fight against Max Holloway at UFC 236, Poirier secured TKO victories over Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje. The win over Gaethje in particular was extremely impressive, as many believed ‘The Highlight’ would be the one landing the heavier blows.

Poirier became the first fighter to knock Conor McGregor out when he took on the Irishman at UFC 257. ‘The Diamond’ levelled his series with ‘The Notorious’ at 1-1 in Abu Dhabi earlier this year with a sensational second-round TKO victory.

Charles Oliveira, on the other hand, is the best finisher in UFC history, period.

The Brazilian not only has the most finishes in the history of the promotion (17), but the most submissions (14) as well. Out of Oliveira’s 31 career wins, 19 have come by way of submission and 9 by way of KO/TKO. His current 9-fight win streak comprises 8 finishes.

Watch a compilation of Oliveira's bonus-winning performances below:

While Dustin Poirier has a lot more experience competing in the championship rounds, Oliveira doesn’t believe that the bout will last that long. He has said that he will look to finish the fight as soon as possible.

In an interview with Helen Yee, Oliveira had this to say (via a translator) about his upcoming title fight against Dustin Poirier:

"I'm aggressive, I'm always moving forward. It's going to be the same, going for the finish, going for the knockout, going for the submission, that's how I fight... It's going to be 2 different styles inside the octagon. He's going to fight till the end and I'm going to try to tap him or knock him out in the beginning, so let's see who's going to take it."

Watch his full interview with Helen Yee below:

With two lethal finishers set to square off in the main event of UFC 269, fans can expect fireworks when the octagon doors finally close. Having been through similar journeys to reach where they are now, the two well-rounded mixed martial artists will be primed and ready to give their all as they battle it out for undisputed lightweight gold.