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An actual fight, not an exhibition that’s supposedly for charity.
Conor McGregor has been angling for a charity MMA match with fellow UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier, even going as far as to create a poster to make it seem like it’s a done deal for December 12th in Dublin.
While that sounds all fine and dandy, the odds of the UFC rubberstamping this are slim and none. Now if they were to actually have a regular fight under the UFC banner in what would be a genuinely interesting rematch, that’d be a different story. Based on what Dana White told Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox, that’s what they’ve done after McGregor and Poirier’s recent social media back-and-forth about a charity MMA event.
“(Conor) called out Poirier for a fight with (him) in Dublin for charity,” White said. “So we offered them both a fight. We offered Dustin and Conor a fight, so we’re waiting to hear back from both of them.”
White also shut down the idea that McGregor is going to fight Manny Pacquiao next in another boxing blockbuster.
McGregor has spent the past several days sharing apparent private messages between him and Dana White over trying to get a fight booked. Conor has claimed that he’s retired from the sport but clearly that “retirement” isn’t going to hold up. The former two-division champ has not fought since his quick knockout win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in January.
Poirier, who’s universally beloved by both fighters and fans, has been unable to secure his next fight after his scintillating win over Dan Hooker back in June. There was hope that he’d take on Tony Ferguson at UFC 254, but that was nixed after him and the promotion were unable to come to financial terms.
In their first meeting at UFC 178 in 2014, McGregor won by first-round TKO in what was Poirier’s last featherweight fight.