HOUSTON — Dustin Poirier has a big fight in mind, and it doesn’t involve Conor McGregor.
During a backstage scrum at UFC 271, Poirier spoke to media about his desire fight Nate Diaz as a welterweight fighter. This bout has been talked about on numerous occasions in the last few years. Diaz recently told TMZ that he wants a fight with Poirier to be his retirement fight.
Poirier is confident that a fight with Diaz will happen eventually.
“I think there’s a good chance it’s going to happen,” Poirier said. Poirier said that summer would be a great target, but that it was not clear. However, I feel confident that the goal will come true. Although I don’t know if I will stay at 170 pound, this fight is logical.
“I just want to be in fights that mean something to me. Nate is a man I grew to love watching fights, and I admire him and his brother. I believe that it will be a great show for fans stylistically. It’s a Fight of the Year fight. These are the fights that I would like to see in .”
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Poirier doesn’t believe that Diaz fans are done with Stockton’s native Stocktoner, regardless of whether or not they fight.
” I don’t believe it,” Poirier stated. He’s got the dog in him, Nate. He will fight for his life. He’ll fight forever, we’ll just have to wait and see. I think he still has plenty of fight in him. But, there’s no way to know what his exit plans or his exit strategy are. I want the fight and I think he wants it as well.”
Back August 2018,, a matchup between Poirier & Diaz was announced by UFC to be held at UFC 230 November that year. The booking was mired in drama, however, as Diaz walked out of a press conference ahead of that event and Poirier was later forced to withdraw anyway due to an injury.
Both of the fighters mentioned that they wanted to enter the Octagon together since that time. For Poirier it’s not just that missed chance that motivates him to chase Diaz.
“It’s a combination of everything, but it’s also history,” Poirier said. “I was living at my mother’s house watching this guy fight on The Ultimate Fighter. These are the kinds of fights that mean something to me, and like I said, he’s a pioneer of the sport. His brother and he have been in the sport for a long time. When his brother was fighting in PRIDE, I was a fan. This is way before it was even cool, before it was a mainstream sport.
“Nate is a fighter’s champion and I love his fights, intensity and fights. I believe it will be an amazing fight .”
Aside the Diaz fight Poirier’s name was also connected to possible bouts with Colby Covington, a former teammate, and McGregor, a longtime rival, who Poirier beat twice in 2021..
Poirier said he has no interest in ever fighting Covington due to his personal disdain for him, and while that didn’t stop him from fighting McGregor, he also doubts that they meet for a fourth time.
” Conor and I have a past,” Poirier stated. “I fought him at ’45, bumping up and then bumping upwards, finally fighting him seven-years later and beating him. Conor is unlikely to be my next fight. Conor is not someone I want to face again. For me, that door is closed.
” The only reason that I would do it for is money. He beat me twice in succession. Can I best my two performances? Can I knock him out quicker? Can I 10-7 him? How can I help him? I’ve done it. If I do it again, it’s just for money, right? So that’s a completely different thing.”
