#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:
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"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:
#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.