Dustin Poirier Beats Michael Chandler via 3rd-Round Submission at UFC 281

Dustin Poirier picked up a big win at UFC 281 from Madison Square Garden, defeating Michael Chandler via third-round submission.

It was a back-and-forth fight with wild momentum swings, but it was The Diamond who drew the tap with a rear-naked choke.

It was clear in the first round that Chandler and Poirier weren't just shooting for Fight of the Night. They had Fight of the Year on their mind.

Chandler held the early advantage in the first round. He landed a series of explosive overhand rights that had Poirier struggling early. The Diamond found his own success, ending the round battering a bloodied Chandler against the fence.

Poirier wasn't able to capitalize on the momentum, though. Chandler got the fight to the ground in the second round, where he held a dominant position for much of the five minutes. He attempted to lock in a rear-naked choke but didn't have any luck.

It was The Diamond that got the advantageous position in the third round, though. The two continued to put on a show, but Poirier accomplished in the third what Chandler couldn't quite finish up in the second round.

The win keeps The Diamond at the forefront of the lightweight division. The 33-year-old had been inactive since losing to Charles Oliveira by third-round submission in a championship fight at UFC 269.

Previous to that, Poirier had won back-to-back fights against Conor McGregor, turning back The Notorious' attempt to get back into the 155-pound division title picture.

Poirier now finds himself in an interesting position. His loss to Oliveira is still fairly fresh, but beating Chandler certainly helps his stock. Islam Makhachev's win over Do Bronx to take the title also opens things up.

"Nothing's ever clear in this sport, especially in the lightweight division," Poirier said, per Damon Martin of MMA Fighting. "But [Islam Makhachev becoming champion] definitely opens up doors. There's new opportunities, different fights make sense now, new opponents. We'll see."

One thing that he doesn't foresee happening is another fight with McGregor. The Irishman has been inactive since losing a second consecutive fight to Poirier.

"You never know in this sport. I don't know if he's coming back, what weight class, I'm not sure. Never say never, but it's not looking like it in the near future. We'll see," he said, per Martin.

Regardless of whether they fight for a fourth time, Poirier remains a draw and a powerful force in the division.