Houston, TX — Dustin Poirier has all but closed the door on a fourth fight with UFC megastar Conor McGregor.
Though should the right dollar amount come his way, perhaps there’s still a chance. Speaking backstage at the Toyota Center during UFC 271 in Houston on Saturday, Poirier addressed fighting Colby Covington — which he says will never happen in the UFC — McGregor, and Nate Diaz.
“I’m probably not going to fight Conor again. I don’t really want to fight Conor again. For me, that door is closed,” said Poirier. “The only reason I’d do it is for money. I beat him two times in a row. Can I best my two performances? Can I knock him out quicker, can I 10-7 him? What can I do? I’ve done it, if I do it again, it’s just for money.”
Nate Diaz is a different situation. The pair have been circling a fight for months, and frankly years. Previously, there was a push to make the fight happen at UFC 272 in March. Diaz’s contract situation — he has one fight left on his deal — appears to be the sticking point, with sources telling Cageside Press that the promotion wants to extend the Stockton fighter’s contract before booking the match-up.
“I think there’s a good chance it’s going to happen. I think summer’s probably a good target, if I would put one on the calendar,” Poirier said Saturday. “I’m not sure, but I have a good feeling it’s going to happen.”
If it does happen, it will likely come at welterweight. “I’m not sure if I want to stay at 170 pounds, but this fight makes sense. I just want to be in fights that mean something to me,” Poirier explained. “Nate’s a guy I grew up watching fight, I respect him and his brother, I think stylistically it’s going to be fun for the fans. This is a Fight of the Year type of fight, and those are the kind of fights I want to be part of.”
Diaz recently chided the UFC for not booking what he referred to as his “retirement fight,” but Poirier for one isn’t buying that Nate is done with the fight game. “I don’t believe that. Nate, he’s got that dog in him. He’s going to fight forever.”
