Dustin Poirier has refused to rule out a fourth UFC clash with Conor McGregor but stressed that his focus is on his fight with Michael Chandler this weekend.
Poirier avenged a 2014 knockout loss to McGregor by beating the Irishman by the same means last January, before winning the pair’s trilogy bout last July when McGregor suffered a broken leg.
Following his most recent win against McGregor, Poirier challenged then-champion Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title in December but came up short. The American was submitted by Oliveira, the same way he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission when challenging the Russian for the title in 2019.
Poirier, 33, returns to the Octagon this Saturday to face compatriot Chandler at UFC 281, and the “Diamond” was asked at a media day on Thursday (10 November) whether he would one day fight McGregor again.
“I’m not sure,” Poirier said. “You never know in this sport. I don’t know if he’s coming back, what weight class, I’m not sure.
“Never say never, but it’s not looking like it in the near future. We’ll see.
“I fought him three times. I’m trying to get to the title.”
Poirier suffered a knockout loss to McGregor in 2014 during the pair’s days in the UFC featherweight division.
After stopping Poirier in the first round, McGregor went on to win the title in late 2015, before becoming the UFC’s first ever dual-weight champion in 2016 by claiming the lightweight belt.
McGregor has not fought since his second loss to Poirier, but the 34-year-old is expected to compete in the first half of 2023.
McGregor was previously expected to fight in early 2023, but the Irishman is not in the United States Anti-Doping Agency testing pool, and fighters must have been in the pool for at least six months to be eligible to compete.
