Puryear: "I had no option to turn down the fight with Makhachev"

Former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Porier spoke about how he took the bout with current full titleholder Islam Makhachev.

The American and the Dagestani will meet in the main event of the UFC 302 show, scheduled for June 1 in Newark, USA.

"As soon as Tsarukyan defeated Oliveira, I got a call from Hunter Campbell and said: "The fight just ended. I'm going to Tsarukyan's locker room right now, I'll call you back in an hour." It turns out that he then offered Arman a fight with Islam in six weeks. And I perfectly understand Arman's decision to refuse.

And to be honest, six weeks is rather short notice for me too. But I didn't have the option to turn it down and say, "Hey, I need more time to prepare." This is my chance that I have to hold on to as tightly as possible," MMA Mania quoted Porier as saying.