Pablo Garza
A win for Poirier would mean the world in a featherweight division that finds its title picture in constant limbo. The UFC has faced the difficult task of creating meaningful title fights that can also capture the imagination of fans, but with a division full of fighters who’ve yet to attain superstar status, they’ve been forced to turn towards the lightweight division and its roster of more familiar names. Longtime lightweight stalwart Kenny Florian secured a title shot after one underwhelming victory at featherweight, and other, more familiar lightweight names would almost certainly be given more consideration for championship opportunities if they decided to make the cut.
This might offend fighters who have toiled in the lower weight classes for years without getting their shot, but Poirier doesn’t mind. Not one bit, actually. He understands the game, understands that pay per view revenue and marketable stars are what drives his employer onward towards the goal of mainstream acceptance.
“I have respect for all of these guys. I don’t even look at it as a weight class with barriers. Top guys are top guys, whether they are 170 who drop to 155 or 155 to 145,” Poirier says. “Kenny Florian has been putting in work for years. He’s been around a long time and he deserved that title shot. I’m coming from the WEC, where I was 1-1. I’ve picked up two wins in the UFC, so that gives me four fights in Zuffa. Kenny probably has twenty fights. He definitely deserves it.”
Discussions of title shots, even with a win over Garza, are immediately deflected by Poirier. This is the usual fighter response to a standard boilerplate question leading into a fight. They’re focused on their opponent. They don’t care about what’s happening after this fight or the next fight. All they can think about is the guy standing in front of them.
For Poirier, though, it’s more than simply showing the usual respect for his opponent. He’s a young and immensely talented prospect with the smarts to realize that he’s not at the top of the division just yet, and he’s fine with that. Even if he defeats Aldo, he’s not looking to jump into championship contention. Not yet, anyway.
“I’m definitely looking for more fights. Definitely. But is that the reality? I don’t know. If I get my hand raised on Saturday night, I’m sure they’ll put another top guy in front of me, and we’ll see where it goes from there,” he says. “I would say I’m roughly in the middle of the ladder in the featherweight division.”
And so Poirier’s long journey up the featherweight ladder leads him to Anaheim, where he and Garza square off on the preliminary card for UFC on Fox. In a normal situation, his fight would be televised, but the unique circumstances surrounding the UFC’s debut on network television leave Poirier relegated to the preliminary card, with viewers forced to spend an afternoon on Facebook in order to see his fight. This doesn’t trouble Poirier, not one bit. He recognizes the historic nature of the card and is honored just to take part.
“It’s huge, man. It doesn’t give me any added pressure. It’s just another fight in the UFC, and there’s already enough pressure. I’m not looking at it any differently just because it’s the first fight on Fox. But it is a huge opportunity,” Poirier says. “Nobody will ever be able to take that away from me, you know? It’s like being a WEC veteran. Nobody can say that from now on. These new guys coming in won’t ever be able to say that, and I take pride in that. I’m glad that I am a WEC veteran.
“And now I’m going to be one of the guys to fight on Fox, on the first show,” Poirier continues. “In twenty years, looking back on it and talking to upcoming fighters, I’ll be able to tell them that I fought on the first Fox card. I’ll be able to tell them that. It’s just a good opportunity.”
Follow Jeremy Botter on Twitter @JeremyHeavyMMA