Dustin Poirier doesn’t agree with Conor McGregor that a fourth fight between them is “a must,” but that doesn’t mean he’s unwilling to do it.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) said during a recent social media Q&A with fans that he needs to fight Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) again before their careers are over due to the unsatisfactory way their trilogy bout ended at UFC 264 in July 2021.
After McGregor won the first meeting with an opening-round knockout at UFC 178 in September 2014, the pair would rematch nearly seven years later at UFC 257 in January 2021. Poirier would redeem himself when he dropped and stopped McGregor for a second-round knockout.
That set up the trilogy match, which ended in anticlimactic fashion when McGregor suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round that halted the fight. The Irishman hasn’t seen action in more than two years since, but is planning his octagon return in 2024, likely against Michael Chandler.
That path to another clash with Poirier isn’t clear right now, but “The Diamond” said he would be hard-pressed to turn it down if the UFC presented a bout agreement for Part 4.
“I probably would (say yes) – try to shut him up once and for all,” Poirier told Megan Olivi for ESPN during a backstage interview at UFC Fight Night 232 on Saturday. “But even if I slap his ass around again, he’s still going to be chatting. So we’ll see. Is him and Chandler official? I don’t know what’s going on. But that’s a huge fight. (Our rivalry is) 2-1 against him. I don’t really see another reason for it, but it’d be a huge fight.”
Poirier does not currently have a fight scheduled. He most recently competed in July, where he suffered a second-round knockout loss to Justin Gaethje in their rematch for the “BMF” title at UFC 291.
The 34-year-old recently told MMA Junkie that he would be open to fighting at UFC 300, which is expected to take place in April, but said he’s uncertain about an opponent who could make sense.
