UFC legend Tito Ortiz has slammed Conor McGregor for dragging Dustin Poirier's wife Jolie into their bitter war of words during the promotion around their fight trilogy.
The Irishman infamously declared that Poirier's wife was "in his DMs", meaning that she had sent him a private message behind her husband's back, during their fight build-up. And he repeated the line with venom as he sat in the corner after breaking his leg and losing their trilogy bout at UFC 264 in July of last year during a foul-mouthed rant at his rival.
Strangely, the pair's rivalry had been relatively friendly for a time, with McGregor actually offering the big-money rematch to Poirier seemingly out of nowhere at the end of 2020 despite having comfortably beaten him in 2014. They exchanged gifts before their meeting in January 2021, and embraced in multiple shows of respect after the American landed a knockout in that bout.
But things changed when Poirier questioned where McGregor's promised $500,000 donation towards his charity The Good Fight Foundation had gone. The pair reignited their bitter feud, topping even the heated rivalry of 2014, when Poirier declared that he had never disliked an opponent more than the Irishman.
"I watch a lot of other guys, guys like Conor and they start talking about people’s wives and s***," Ortiz told Paddy Pimblett on his podcast Chattin' Pony. "And that’s just a line that shouldn’t be [crossed]. Families can’t defend themselves, we’re talking about a fighter.
"Talk about his character. Talk about his person. Talk about him. Don’t talk about the people that are around him, family-wise at least. Those are the type of rules that I used that helped me. Once again, at the end of the day, when the fight is over, you’re going to shake the guy’s hand and say, ‘good job'."
What did you make of Conor McGregor's foul-mouthed rant towards Dustin and Jolie Poirier? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
McGregor and Poirier engaged in one of the more heated press conferences in recent memory ahead of their trilogy fight, before a bad-natured bout that ended prematurely with McGregor's leg break. And due to the nature of the stoppage, McGregor did not take the defeat well, demanding that commentator Joe Rogan interview him as he was having his snapped leg stabilised.
There, he again declared that Poirier's wife had been messaging him, jeering her by saying: "Your wife is in my DMs, hey baby. Hit me back up I'll chat to you later on, I'll be at the after party at the Wynn night club. You look in bits you little h**!" McGregor also insisted that he would fight Poirier on the street, and vowed that the rivalry was "not over".
New footage has also shown McGregor threaten their lives, with a clip indicating that he said: “In your sleep you’re getting it, in your sleep you’re dead, you and your Mrs, it ain’t over." McGregor can be heard saying: "Be careful at the club mate."
