For the longest period of time, Islam Makhachev was denied his P4P status by Dana White who always put Jon Jones in that spot. However, it was after Makhachev’s UFC 311 performance that forced the UFC head honcho to change his tune on the Dagestani fighter. At 55 years old, he has finally acknowledged that the Dagestani native is the true No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, largely due to his unwavering willingness to take on any challenger put in front of him. During the post-fight press conference after UFC 311, White said, “He’s already the pound-for-pound number one ranked. Yeah, [Islam is his best P4P fighter]. I’ll give it to him,” But just as the UFC head honcho provided the much-needed validation for the lightweight champ, a fellow fighter threw a wrench in the mix. Former interim champion Dustin Poirier has a completely different take on it. ‘The Diamond’ recently sat down for a chat on the Outta Pocket podcast where he spoke at length on multiple topics.During the rapid-fire section, he gave something for the fans to think about. For Poirier, the number one pound-for-pound fighter is Johnny Eblen who currently competes in the Bellator. Well for the unversed Eblen holds a professional record of 16-0-0 with six of his victories coming by knockout and one via submission.‘The Diamond’ during the podcast said, “Every time I’ve got asked this question up until a few years ago I would say my boy Johnny Eblen. I saw him from when he came out of college and first started learning to box and kickbox. And how fast he was evolving and putting it all together. Just such a naturally gifted athlete”. Poirier has been training with Eblen for quite some time now and knows exactly what the 33-year-old is capable of doing. Known as the ‘Pressure’, the Bellator champion does have an impressive resume and also an impressive skill set. So what happens if he ever makes a move to the UFC? Well according to Poirier he beats everyone including ‘Stillknocks’. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Islam_Makhachev (@islam_makhachev)Poirier further added, “You know he’s a Bellator world champion. Defended his belt multiple times. But I believe he’s the best middleweight on the earth Right now. I think he comes over and beats Du Plessis and everybody”. Poirier has had the opportunity to face some of the best fighters in the division but he only held the interim title in his career. He had the opportunity to win the title at UFC 302 against Islam Makhachev but failed to do so. So where does it place him in the history books of the UFC? Well, Israel Adesanya has the answer for you.Israel Adesanya reminds the world of how good Dustin Poirier actually isWhether he holds an undisputed title or not, is there really any doubt that Dustin Poirier belongs among the UFC’s elite? Some critics might argue otherwise, but Israel Adesanya isn’t entertaining that notion. The former two-time middleweight champion made his stance clear on social media, delivering a mic-drop moment by reminding everyone that Poirier, fought his way to the top and proved his worth. As for ‘The Diamond’? He’s not interested in hypothetical debates—he knows exactly what he’s accomplished and doesn’t need validation.While speaking on the MMAFightingonSBN, show Poirier said, “Fans can have their opinions and say whatever they want, but I worked my a-s off for 18 years to reach that night.” referring to his victory against Max Holloway at UFC 236. He further added, “I have a gold belt at home that says UFC world champion on it. It is what it is. I’m a world champion.” While many might not agree with him former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya actually does. ‘Izzy’ took to his X account and tweeted, “Undisputed or not, he was the champion. Y’all can’t take that away from him,” .What’s undeniable is that Dustin Poirier isn’t just a standout in the lightweight division—he’s a certified legend in the UFC. However, all good things eventually come to an end, and ‘The Diamond’ feels it’s the right time to walk off from the sport. Will he get the grand send-off he wants? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.The post Islam Makhachev’s Biggest P4P Threat Isn’t Jon Jones; and He’s Not Even in the UFC appeared first on EssentiallySports.