Days after a heartbreaking loss to lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov seemed to have Dustin Poirier considering retirement, the Louisiana native is once again hunting big game.
Poirier (25-6) was outmatched by Nurmagomedov this past Saturday at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi and shortly after the fight posted a video stating "If I choose to fight again, I'll be back strong. If not I'll see what God has in store for me." By Monday, Poirier put the idea of retirement to bed in another social media post.
"Didn't get the result I wanted Saturday," Poirier wrote. "This is what happens sometimes when you're chasing greatness. I gave this my all. I'm down but not out.
"Thank you to everyone for the kind messages and support. It means the world to me. This one really hurts. It's a hurt that I'm very familiar with..."
Now, the former interim lightweight champ is calling out the biggest name in the game.
I think me and Conor running it back makes a lot of sense at this point.
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) September 10, 2019
"I think me and Conor running it back makes a lot of sense at this point," Poirier wrote on Twitter.
Poirier and Conor McGregor fought in September 2014 at UFC 178. The fight was short, with McGregor picking up the TKO at the 1:46 mark of Round 1.
Poirier would only lose one of his 11 fights between the McGregor and Nurmagomedov losses, establishing himself as an elite lightweight while battering featherweight champ Max Holloway to capture the interim 155-pound belt.
McGregor's own most recent trip to the Octagon was a one-sided loss to Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 last October. The fight marked McGregor's UFC return after his failed bid to upset Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring.
While McGregor subsequently "retired," he stated just weeks ago he intends to fight again before the end of 2019 and will "be fighting until the day I go out."
More UFC news, rumors
- While the UFC is creating a "BMF" title to be on the line when Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal clash, the belt will not be defended by the winner. "No. It's a one-and-done," UFC president Dana White said at the UFC 242 post-fight press conference. "Whoever wins, wins the belt and claims the title. 'BMF.'"
- Former UFC heavyweight Dmitrii Smoliakov has been handed a two-year suspension by USADA for a failed drug test following his loss to Greg Hardy in April. The loss dropped Smoliakov to 0-3 in the UFC, all three losses coming by stoppage.
- Michel Pereira will be able to remain on Saturday's UFC Fight Night Vancouver card after the promotion found a last-minute replacement following Sergey Khandozhko's withdrawal from the event due to visa issues. Pereira will face UFC newcomer Tristan Connelly in welterweight action. Connelly is currently riding a four-fight win streak.
