Neither Dustin Poirier nor Michael Chandler have their next fights booked, which perhaps explains why the two fighters exchanged words cageside at UFC 276.
In a video tweeted by UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns, promotion and event security separated Poirier and Chandler in between the prelims and main card Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It is unclear how the altercation started, but about a dozen individuals stood in between the two lightweight contenders, including UFC COO Hunter Campbell, who cracked a smile.
Poirier can be heard saying, “I’m going to f*ck you up” and calling Chandler “a fake.”
Wow 🤩 @DustinPoirier vs @MikeChandlerMMA pic.twitter.com/Dw7aYb9ueV
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) July 3, 2022
While the two fighters have both publicly displayed interest in a matchup against one another, the bad blood possibly stemmed from comments made by Chandler in December. Shortly after Poirier was submitted by Charles Oliveira in a title challenge, Chandler tweeted he’d “never quit” in a big fight like Poirier did.