Dana White Believes Dustin Poirier Or Conor McGregor Should Fight Charles Oliveira Next

Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger - Zuffa LLC

Ahead of UFC 264 this weekend, UFC president, Dana White has confirmed that the victor of Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor III should meet with recently-minted lightweight gold holder, Charles Oliveira for the undisputed championship next.

Headlining the promotion's first outing at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first time since March of last year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Poirier and McGregor look to round off their trilogy of pairings in a lightweight rubber match, with a shot at lightweight gold and Oliveira also up for grabs.

Initially matching back in September 2014 at UFC 178 -- McGregor, then ranked at #9 in the official featherweight pile, managed to stop the #5 rated, Poirier with strikes inside the opening 90-seconds of the first round. 

Seven years later, with the pair now competing at lightweight, Poirier managed to avenge his 2014 knockout loss to McGregor this January on 'Fight Island' -- becoming the first to finish the Dubliner with strikes in professional mixed martial arts, in the form of a second round flurry at the fence. 

Speaking with The Mac Life reporter, Oscar Willis ahead of UFC 264, White remained coy on the lightweight title scenario beyond this weekend but claimed that whoever emerged victorious between Poirier and McGregor would make sense as Oliveira's first attempted title defence opponent.

"I think so (the winner between Poirier and McGregor should challenge Oliveira)," White said. "I mean it's not set in stone and anything can happen after the fight, who knows but yeah, it makes sense."

Recently extended his division-best winning spree to eight straight fights, Sao Paulo ace, Oliveira rallied to stop the #4 ranked, Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in May to lift the vacant lightweight championship -- and will sit front row this weekend in 'Sin City' at UFC 264.