Dustin Poirier has suggested that the UFC are waiting for Conor McGregor to return so they can make an unprecedented fourth fight between the pair this year.
The duo first met in 2014, with the Irishman landing a first round knockout on Poirier at featherweight on his run to the title at 145lb. Then their rivalry was renewed over half-a-decade later when they decided to rematch at lightweight, with Poirier winning that clash.
And last summer their rubber match was ended prematurely when the former two-weight world champion brutally snapped his leg while throwing a kick, losing by TKO. He has since declared the feud to be "not over", and has vowed to face Poirier again, while the American moved on to a world title opportunity.
However, after losing to Charles Oliveira in December when given the shot at the belt, Poirier has been unable to quickly return to action. He was slated for a short-notice January bout with Nate Diaz, but that was reliant on Diaz signing a long-term contract with the promotion, which he wouldn't do.
And in a Twitter Q&A, Poirier replied to a fan who suggested that the UFC were waiting to book a fourth bout between the pair by saying "probably so". It came after he confirmed that he had heard nothing from the promotion for months after initially agreeing to face Diaz.
"I don't know what's going on," he replied to another fan, asking for updates on the situation with his long-time rival. "I haven't heard anything from anyone in the last 2 months."
McGregor and Poirier's relationship has been very up-and-down since their first bout, when the American declared that he had "never disliked an opponent more". By the time their rematch came around in 2021, the duo were pally in the build-up and cordial following a clean victory for Poirier.
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But that all shifted when there began to be confusion over a donation McGregor had vowed to make to Poirier's charity The Good Fight Foundation. By the time they were back in Las Vegas for fight week, the pair were again heated rivals.
And after the controversial finish to their trilogy bout, McGregor angrily told Poirier that the feud was "not over" before shouting rude comments at his wife Jolie. Both men have indicated a desire to move up to welterweight, with Poirier willing to do it on just days' notice to fight Diaz earlier this year at UFC 270.
And McGregor confirmed last week that he will be moving back to 170lb when he is cleared for competition. "Straight back into training," he told Mirror Fighting of his fighting future. "I'm looking forward to getting back into the octagon - we'll see what happens, the leg's getting better every day, I think 170 is where I'm aiming for, I feel good at this weight."
