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Lynch's Mailbag: Will Poirier fight Iaquinta after getting called out?

Josh Hedges / UFC / Getty

Welcome to Lynch's Mailbag, a weekly feature by senior MMA news editor James Lynch.

Send James a DM @LynchOnSports or an email at james.lynch@thescore.com to submit questions for next week's article. The following questions have been edited for clarity and grammar.

Do you think Dustin Poirier versus Al Iaquinta could happen next? I thought the timing of Iaquinta's callout was brilliant. - Aaron Weinbaum

For those who missed it, Iaquinta said he'd "f--- up" Poirier earlier this week on "Ariel Helwani's MMA Show." Poirier then responded via Twitter, saying, "Bro you won two fights in the last five years ... pipe down." The response suggests Poirier isn't interested in the fight - and with good reason. The former interim lightweight champion is ranked No. 2 in the division, while "Raging" Al is No. 9.

However, since the majority of top-10 fighters are already booked, the callout was indeed perfect timing. For instance, No. 6 Paul Felder will face No. 7 Dan Hooker this Saturday in the main event of UFC Auckland. Iaquinta inserting himself into the conversation - while somewhat overshadowing that matchup - provides another option for Poirier.

Additionally, I see Felder-Hooker being an absolute war, meaning both men would need some much-deserved time off. That would leave Poirier in a tough position: either wait around or take another bout to stay active. If it comes to that, Iaquinta is a big enough name and a viable option. I could see the UFC pushing a Poirier-Iaquinta matchup next.

If Khabib Nurmagomedov beats Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, do you think he'll be regarded as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC? - @AbzTalks1

If Nurmagomedov picks up another victory, it would push his record to 29-0 - an unbelievable mark in any sport. However, this is still just his third title defense since winning the lightweight championship at UFC 223.

By comparison, Jon Jones won the light heavyweight title in March 2011. Despite "Bones" having his title stripped twice, he's put forth more successful defenses than Nurmagomedov has.

Pound-for-pound lists are subjective. But in my books, Jones owns a better body of work as a champion, keeping him ahead of Nurmagomedov.

Is Vadim Nemkov the biggest stylistic threat to Ryan Bader in years? - @teeptothejunk

Absolutely, and what's so impressive about Nemkov is that he hasn't hit his prime yet. The 27-year-old already boasts wins over former Bellator champions Liam McGeary, Phil Davis, and Rafael Carvalho.

With Nemkov recording eight wins by knockout and two by submission, he's one of the most well-rounded fighters Bader has faced in years. There's a reason Bellator has delayed the Russian from getting this title shot for so long. There's a strong possibility Nemkov dethrones the champ on May 9 at Bellator 243.

Can the UFC afford to bring title fights to Texas moving forward? Should title fights be limited to states where athletic commissions have proven to be exceptional? - Peter Johannes

The judging at UFC 247 was atrocious and it certainly put the spotlight on the Texas Athletic Commission, which already had a questionable track record.

However, none of the decisions in Houston impacted the UFC financially, especially in the main event where Jones edged out a close decision. And as much as fans and fighters complained about the rulings, it won't stop anyone from watching future bouts.

In a perfect world, you'd like to see the UFC put pressure on the commission to improve its judging. But I don't see this issue stopping the UFC from hosting future events in Texas.

Do you ever see Brock Lesnar returning? - Tyron Mackenzie

Never say never in MMA. I do think there's a small chance Lesnar would return to the UFC. However, due to the new ESPN deal, there's a lack of PPV money available for fighters. The former champ stands to earn more by competing in the WWE; for that reason, I don't see him coming back to MMA.

Is there a worry that Nurmagomedov versus Ferguson could be stopped early due to the strict commission in New York? - Peter Johannes

There's always a concern when the UFC is dealing with the New York State Athletic Commission. We saw what happened at UFC 244, where the doctor stopped the Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal fight early due to a cut.

The same thing could happen here. But the UFC clearly isn't worried about it, given the promotion chose this location for the lightweight title fight months in advance.

What fights are you most excited about in 2020? - Erik Nickles

There are so many exciting matchups coming up in the next few months.

While I don't think he deserves a title shot, I'm very intrigued by Yoel Romero facing Israel Adesanya for the middleweight belt at UFC 248. On the same card, I'm very curious to see how 22-year-old middleweight prospect Edmen Shahbazyan handles a savvy veteran in Derek Brunson.

A week after that, Kevin Lee will face Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC Brazil. That should be an exciting matchup from a style perspective - more specifically, will Lee's wrestling and standup be enough to triumph over Oliveria's superior ground game?

Finally, Nurmagomedov against Ferguson at UFC 249 could be one of the best lightweight fights in MMA history. I'm interested to see whether Ferguson can adapt to Nurmagomedov's wrestling, which proved to be dominant in his latest wins over Poirier and Conor McGregor.

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