After going 27 bouts without a single defeat, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov may on September 7 at UFC 242 fall for UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier when the duo clash.

A victory for Porrier, the fighter believes could qualify him as the best lightweight to ever compete in the UFC.

“I think with a win over Khabib, I cement myself as the best lightweight to ever fight in the UFC, if you look at my last four, five fights, that run of former and current world champions,” Poirier told ESPN in a recent interview (transcript via MMA News). “And then if I go out there and beat a guy who’s never been defeated in 27 fights, it’s safe to say I might be one of the best lightweight to ever put on a pair of 4-ounce gloves. That’s what I want my legacy to be.”

Although in the face of other competitors, Poirier’s comment and the logic of his decision may not augur well with fighters such as Benson Henderson, BJ Penn, Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos and Tony Ferguson.

The series of successes he has recorded over top-flight fighters clearly reinforces the logic of his comment. Poirier returned to becoming the UFC lightweight division champ after a protracted stay at featherweight. Since his return, he has had a fair share of his fights against Max Holloway, who currently holds the featherweight. Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis, Jim Miller, Bobby Green, Joe Duffy and more have also been victims of his ferocious blows. No doubt, the 30-year old Poirier deserves a place in the lightweight GOAT cycle.

A victory over Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 this September sets Dustin Poirier among the top ranked lightweight athletes in the world.