What’s next for Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier after UFC 242?

In the main event of UFC 242, Khabib Nurmagomedov looked to defend his lightweight title for the second time. He was taking on the interim champion, Dustin Poirier. In the end, Nurmagomedov sunk in a third-round submission to win the fight and defend his belt.

However, Poirier had his moments in the fight and even appeared to stun the undefeated Russian. He also briefly struggled with a guillotine choke, but Nurmagomedov got out of it.

Following UFC 242, here is what we think should be next for Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier.

Khabib Nurmagomedov

There is only one opponent Khabib Nurmagomedov needs to fight next and that is Tony Ferguson. The two have been booked four times before but failed weight cuts and fluke injuries have kept it from happening. Now, the time has come to try again.

Both Nurmagomedov and Ferguson are on 12-fight winning streaks in the UFC, and stylistically it is a very interesting fight. “El Cucuy” has very good jiu-jitsu off his back which could be interesting against the Russian’s wrestling. It is also a fight Nurmagomedov thinks should be next.

“UFC make the decisions, I think yes, he [Ferguson] deserves this, he’s in line,” Nurmagomedov said at the post-fight press conference. “It’s gonna be a good fight.”

It will no doubt be a good fight and one fans have been waiting for for a long time.

Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier fought hard against Khabib Nurmagomedov but unfortunately came up short. Now, “The Diamond” will need to work his way back up to the top if he wants another shot at the Russian.

However, after the fight, he hinted at retirement. If he retires he had an amazing career that included being an interim UFC champion and beating some of the best fighters in the sport.

If he fights again, he has options for his next fight. He deserves a top-five or top-10 opponent, so the winner of Al Iaquinta vs. Dan Hooker could work, as he has yet to fight either and the timing works as well. He could also angle for a rematch with Conor McGregor — a fight many fans would be interested in seeing. Whoever wins it could get another shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov, so the stakes would be high.

Regardless, Dustin Poirier has options for his next fight is he so chooses to fight again.

Who do you think should be next for Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/9/2019.