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Top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title contender, Dustin Poirier, has yet to compete since coming up short against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 last September, thanks to a log-jammed 155-pound weight class.
And some pesky injuries.
But when Poirier does make his return to the fight game later this year, “The Diamond” is hoping to shine in a long-overdue showdown against fellow lightweight veteran, Nate Diaz, even if it means taking their grudge match to the “sweet science.”
“I’d be willing to box him if they wanted to do that,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “I wish ZUFFA Boxing was around and we’d have an opportunity – him and his brother were always talking about crossing over to boxing, I’d love to put the paws on him and show you guys my boxing skills.”
UFC President Dana White was expected to launch ZUFFA Boxing late last year; however, unforeseen hiccups have kept his combat sports expansion at bay. When and where that endeavor finally comes to fruition remains to be seen.
Probably happen before this does.
Poirier and Diaz were previously paired off at UFC 230 but that fight fell apart before hands could be thrown. There’s certainly been plenty of squawking on both sides in the months that followed, but no progress yet on getting pen to paper.