Reports: Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler in Talks for Fight in Late 2022

A bout between recent lightweight title challengers Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler is in the works for the end of the year.

According to a report on “The MMA Hour,” the fight has been targeted for UFC 281, which takes place on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Meanwhile, promotion broadcast partner ESPN confirmed that while the bout is in the works, Chandler prefers that it take place in December. Poirier also reportedly wants the fight to be contested over five rounds.

Poirier and Chandler were involved in a brief confrontation while attending UFC 276 at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas on July 2. While it’s unclear what started the altercation, both men had to be separated by security while they yelled obscenities and threats at one another.

Poirier hasn’t competed since UFC 269, when he suffered a third-round submission loss to Charles Oliveira in a 155-pound title bout this past December. That snapped a three-bout winning streak for the American Top Team representative, who was coming off triumphs over Conor McGregor (twice) and Dan Hooker.

Chandler, meanwhile, authored a leading “Knockout of the Year” candidate with a spectacular front kick finish of Tony Ferguson in his most recent outing at UFC 274. The former Bellator lightweight king had previously fallen to Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 in Sherdog’s “Fight of the Year” winner for 2021 and to Charles Oliveira in a bid for the vacant 155-pound belt at UFC 262.