Poirier Targeting Biggest Possible Fights
Dustin Poirier only wants the biggest fights he can get.
The former interim lightweight champion was expected to return against Dan Hooker in the UFC San Diego headliner next month. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all UFC events have been indefinitely postponed for the time being.
While Poirier is still open to facing Hooker in the future, it’s no secret that he would target bigger fish if possible. The biggest of all is Conor McGregor, of course, whom Poirier already suffered a defeat to when they met back in 2014.
He has since regularly campaigned for a rematch, but it’s not about getting revenge as much as it is fighting the highest-ranked opponents and getting right back in the title picture.
“Of course I’d rather have that [McGregor fight],” Poirier told MMA Fighting. “Like I said, I want the biggest and the highest ranked guys that I can get. Yeah, I’m not circling back around to these guys or begging for fights.
“I’ll fight Dan Hooker no problem, but my job is to get the biggest fights, the most money, get the highest ranked opponents that I can get. So whenever I see people and opportunities that make sense, like me and Conor, of course I would push for that.”
McGregor was expected to face the winner of the recently-canceled Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson lightweight title fight. But due to the current situation, it remains to be seen what is next for the former two-weight champion.
And “The Diamond” is willing to go as far as changing weight classes and even sports if it means facing McGregor in the meantime.
“I’d love it at welterweight,” Poirier said. “I’d love it in a boxing ring. I’d love it in MMA. I’ll take it at 185 [pounds], I don’t care. I just want the biggest fights that I can get, and that’s definitely one of them.”
It all depends on whether McGregor is receptive to the idea.
