UFC President Dana White is making sure that the excitement levels for a reported bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier stay grounded. Although reports of the match rumored it to be official, Dana is saying that no contracts have been signed for the matchup.
Before the UFC had any say in the matchmaking process, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier agreed to fight each other for a second time. After UFC 253, Conor McGregor challenged Dustin Poirier to a charity exhibition MMA match on social media. Since then, Poirier has responded and welcomes the challenge to support his charity, The Good Fight. Originally, McGregor said that the fight should happen on December 12th in Ireland. Now, McGregor accepts to fight Poirier on the UFC’s terms on a future card on January 23rd.
Dana White on McGregor vs Poirier
However, it looks like the fight has yet to be made official. At least according to Dana White. In a recent interview with ESPN, Dana stated that the fight is not booked. So, perhaps fans shouldn’t get excited about Conor’s return just yet.
Dana White provided an update on the Poirier-McGregor rematch, which would currently take place on Fight Island.
(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/4iN6LsSOUU
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 10, 2020
“It’s not true that the fight is booked. Dustin is signed, but Conor hasn’t received or signed his bout agreement,” he said. “We sent the bout agreement to Conor today, but nothing is done yet. Jan. 23 on Fight Island if everything goes according to plans. There are a ton of if’s right now. I have to see where the world is in the next couple of months.”
Standing Ground
Poirier has stated in the past that he will not cut weight or fight for less money than he deserves. At the moment, it’s still very unclear on the contracts that the promotion is offering. But, one would think that a fight against Conor McGregor would warrant a massive payday. Especially in the main event fight. Now, it seems like the organization is waiting on the acceptance of McGregor to make everything possible.
