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UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier will likely not get to fight Nate Diaz anytime soon.
Dustin Poirier, the second ranked lightweight in the UFC, recently told ESPN MMA’s Ariel Helwani that a fight against the ever-popular Nate Diaz is likely not on the cards. Poirier and Diaz had been matched up in 2018, but an injury to the ‘Diamond’ ended that. Since then the pair have shared a few tense exchanges online.
But despite the past war of words, Poirier seems committed to finding new dance partners inside of the Octagon. He told Helwani; “obviously I was trying to get the Nate fight for a while, but we’ve recently decided to just leave that alone. He’s not fighting.”
Poirier then explained that he had spoken to UFC matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby at UFC 247 in Houston, TX last weekend and that they had informed him that the bout wasn’t viable.
“They told me they offered him the fight,” revealed Poirier. “And then recently I had spoke again to Sean and he said it’s just time to move on; the Diaz camp isn’t responding, isn’t getting back, it was radio silence on their end.”
“I don’t want to keep chasing that guy,” added Poirier. “We were supposed to fight a while back and then he was talking a lit bit of trash. That was the reason I wanted to go out there and beat him up, but now that that’s getting further removed and he’s not taking fights, I’ve got to move on.”
Poirier hasn’t fought since his submission loss to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September last year. He earned his title shot a six fight undefeated run that included wins over Max Holloway, Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis and Jim Miller.
Before that run Poirier was upset Michael Johnson. Since 2014 Poirier has gone 10-3 (1 NC) in the UFC. The third loss on his record during this period was to megastar Conor McGregor. When those two matched-up at UFC 178 McGregor was in the midst of his historic rise to a UFC featherweight title.
Six years removed from that loss, Poirier expressed a rematch with McGregor was one of a number of fights he would consider for his next bout.