Dustin Poirier is moving on.
After losing to Conor McGregor in their featherweight fight back in 2014, “The Diamond” ran it back with the power-punching Irishman nearly six years later at lightweight, avenging his loss by way of second-round knockout.
Their UFC 264 trilogy — also at lightweight — was supposed to settle their score once and for all; however, McGregor suffered a broken leg at the end of the opening frame, leading to whispers of a fourth and final fight.
“Me and Conor have a history,” Poirier said during his appearance at UFC 271. “Fighting him at 145 and bumping up, then bumping up, fighting him seven years later, beating him. Even that fight — I’m probably not going to fight Conor again. I don’t really want to fight Conor again. For me, that door is closed. The only reason I’d do it is for money. I beat him two times in a row. Can I best my two performances? Can I knock him out quicker? Can I 10-7 him? What can I do? I’ve done it. If I do it again, it’s just for money, right? So that’s a completely different thing.”
I guess Poirier no longer needs “10 times the amount of money to fight.”
After stopping McGregor at UFC 264, Poirier went on to challenge Charles Oliveira for the 155-pound title at UFC 269, losing by way of third-round submission. “The Diamond” is currently negotiating a comeback fight against longtime rival Nate Diaz, who is teasing retirement after one more MMA fight.
As for the still-recovering McGregor, there is currently no timeline for his Octagon return.