Former interim UFC lightweight champion, Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier has admitted that a fourth pairing with arch-rival and former two-weight champion, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor is probably unlikely in the future.
Poirier, who took home a July first round doctor’s stoppage TKO win over the Dubliner last July in the main event of UFC 264, also nabbed bragging rights as he secured the second win of the pair’s trilogy of bouts.
The Lafayette native headlined UFC 257 in January of last year against the returning former undisputed lightweight and featherweight kingpin, becoming the first to finish McGregor with strikes in professional mixed martial arts courtesy of a second round knockout in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Starting brightly against McGregor in the pair’s July rubber match trilogy bout, Poirier emerged with a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO win after the former fractured his left tibia at the end of the first frame, forcing a stoppage.
However, in the immediate aftermath of the bout, McGregor hurdled expletives and death threats toward both Poirier and his wife, Jolie, with the former interim lightweight champion admitting backstage that their rivalry had likely not seen it’s closure, and alluded to a fourth chapter in the future.
Seven months later, however, Poirier, who has flirted with a welterweight move in the aftermath of his December lightweight title challenge loss to Charles Oliveira, has distanced himself from another bout with McGregor.
Replying to a Twitter user who asked, “will you fight Conor (McGregor) again?” Poirier replied, “Probably not” – effectively shutting the proverbial door on another clash.
For McGregor, the 33-year-old has spent the time since his injury recovering in preparation for an expected summer Octagon return. And recently claimed that he expects to return to full mixed martial arts training and sparring by April of this year.
Louisianan puncher, Poirier has welcomed a welterweight move and subsequent pairing against common-foe, Nate Diaz next in a grudge-match between the two, however, at the time of publication, a pairing has failed to materialize despite interest from both parties.
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