Dustin Poirier and Israel Adesanya claimed UFC interim gold after two epic encounters in the headline acts of UFC 236 in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday night.
Poirier called for a showdown with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov after his strong showing against Max Holloway in their rematch, ending a 13-fight win streak for featherweight champion in his 155-pound debut.
'In the words of Daniel Cormier, get your sh*t together, young man, we've got a belt to fight for!' Poirier said when asked if he had a message for the Russian.
Dustin Poirier claimed the lightweight interim title by unanimous decision after an incredible fight in Georgia
Poirier and Max Holloway (right) put on a classic fight and both men left everything in the octagon on Saturday
Poirier landed the heavier strikes early on in the contest but the resilient Holloway battled back later in the rounds
Poirier's superior power was evident early on, hurting Holloway on at least four occasions over the opening two rounds.
He opened up Holloway in the third before the Hawaiian began to reclaim the momentum with his volume striking in spite the obvious damage he had taken.
Despite Holloway's volume playing more of a role as the fight wore on, 'The Diamond' continued to find his spots, unloading with powerful hooks that constantly troubled 'Blessed'.
Knowing that Holloway had more gas left in the tank for the final round, Poirier forced the wrestling exchanges against the featherweight champion, which eventually saw him through to victory.
In the co-main event, Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum engaged in one of the most epic UFC title fights in recent memory, with the undefeated 'Stylebender' coming away from the clash with the interim middleweight belt after a goliath showing in the final round.
Adesanya was incredibly precise and showcased a wide array of different strikes in his arsenal over five rounds
Gastelum pushed his opponent to the limit and 'Stylebender' was required to dig extremely deep to win
The fifth round was a devastating showing from Adesanya who repeatedly found a home for his punches
Following the win, Adesanya laid his newly acquired belt at the feet of City Kickboxing head coach, Eugene Bareman.
'I was ready for war. I told y'all,' he told Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview.
A leaping right hook sent Adesanya down in the first, before 'Stylebender' kicked into action in the second, sending Gastelum down with a piston straight. The City Kickboxing fighter also landed a dazzling spinning back elbow, underlining his dominance over the second stanza.
Adesanya
