UFC 276: Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler have to be separated ahead of main card

There were no lightweights on the main card of UFC 276, but the Las Vegas crowd nearly saw a pair of them go at it.

Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier, ranked No. 2 in the UFC's champion-less lightweight rankings, and Michael Chandler, ranked fifth, were seen embroiled in a heated argument, to the point they had to be separated, between the preliminary and main cards at T-Mobile Arena.

The conflict was caught on camera by intrepid reporter and former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns.

Not every loud argument at a UFC event portends a future fight, but a Poirier-Chandler fight makes enough sense for both fighters that it's hard not to wonder if the UFC decision-makers are already in the process of setting something up.

Poirier hasn't fought since losing to then-UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira by submission at UFC 269 last December, while Chandler is coming off a win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 in May. Chandler also recently got a shot against Oliveira, but lost via second-round TKO.

Both fighters are popular among UFC fans and part of a highly entertaining top of the lightweight division. A fight between the two of them would almost certainly be a striking showcase, hopefully along the lines of Chandler's fight against Justin Gaethje last November.