TAMPA, Fla. – Dustin Poirier is waiting patiently for a significant opportunity before opting to return to the octagon.
Poirier, the former interim UFC lightweight champion, is just over one month removed from a submission loss to champ Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, and while he said he would compete again this year, it would only be for something truly meaningful.
A rematch with Conor McGregor certainly fits the bill. “The Notorious” beat Poirier back in 2014 and in recent weeks has exchanged some messages with “The Diamond” on social media. Poirier (25-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) would love to do it again, and he believes he’s a perfect opponent for McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) to face after more than a year away from MMA.
“I think it could happen; I don’t know how likely it is,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “I’m still at the top of the division. He’s ranked under me. If he wants to get back to the title, there’s only one way to do that is to fight. I’m the next guy in line, so I think it makes a lot of sense. My star has never been brighter, and people want to see Conor back, and I think it would be a huge fight, and it would be a huge pay-per-view. I just want a fight that’s going to make me excited. I’ve been doing this a long time and not that I’m not motivated, I just want to be excited about it.”
Poirier was knocked out by McGregor in the first round when they fought at UFC 178. The fight took place in the featherweight division, but both have since moved up to 155 pounds. Poirier said he’s a far more mature fighter compared to then, and while he’s suffered more defeats along the way, the loss to Nurmagomedov in particular has helped him grow.
“I think I’ve learned a lot of lessons since then,” Poirier said. “I’ve got a lot better. It’ll be six years or so since we fought. I’ve tightened up a lot of things, got a lot smoother, I’m more defensively responsible now. After the Michael Johnson loss, I went back and really started to work on my defense, my range, my timing, and my understanding of distance. I think that really shows in the fights I’ve had since then. It’s the same thing with this Khabib fight. I wasn’t defensively responsible on the ground.
“I’ve spent thousands of hours on the ground and had people try to choke my neck, and in the fight with Khabib I was more worried about trying to wear this guy down than I was about the danger of the potential of the chokes and the submissions. The alarm wasn’t going off like, ‘Emergency!’ I wasn’t defensively responsible. Not that I didn’t think I could get submitted, but I don’t get submitted very often honestly, and I think I can make these guys work and get up. But he’s a different animal, and I need to tighten up. Lesson learned.”
Although Poirier would take the McGregor rematch instantly if the UFC called with an offer, he’s not getting his hopes up for the immediate future. That works well, actually, because Poirier has some health issues to get in order. Poirier said he’s been dealing with a nagging hip for several years, and he plans to have it examined while he awaits his next fight.
“They haven’t offered me anything yet, but I would fight again this year if it makes sense,” Poirier said. “But if not, maybe the first quarter of next year. I’m going up to Colorado in a week to get my hips checked out by a hip specialist and just to get a second opinion. My hip has been bothering me the last couple years. If I can do a scope or something like that, it’s going to take me out for six weeks, and it makes me feel amazing in my next camp, I’m going to take that and do that. But we’ll see.”
Dustin Poirier says timing right for Conor McGregor rematch: 'My star has never been brighter'
