Five years on from UFC 178, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier could be about to run it back.
When ‘The Notorious’ clashed with ‘Diamond’ in Las Vegas, in September 2014, the highly anticipated featherweight bout lasted only 106 seconds. McGregor had been tipped by many to struggle against Poirier but he was a dominant winner and ended up with another Performance of the Night $50,000 bonus.
That was 18 months into McGregor’s UFC career and those sort of bonuses made a massive difference in the Dubliner’s life. Worth millions upon millions at this stage, it is the performance and the accolade that McGregor cherishes more.
A lot of water has sluiced under a lot of bridges since then, and while McGregor has dabbled two weight divisions up, against Nate Diaz, he became champion at feather- and lightweight. He also took a hiatus to box Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Poirier, meanwhile, eventually stepped up to lightweight and put together a winning streak that won him a glut of new fans, the interim 155lbs belt and a title shot against returning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. That fight took place at UFC 242, last weekend, and as game as he was, Nurmagomedov put on a wrestling clinic to become ‘undisputed’ champ.
Following the fight, Poirier openly questioned whether he had enough fight left in him to go on in MMA but, by Tuesday, he appeared to have firmed up his resolve. The Louisiana native took to social media to suggest that his next fight should be a rematch with McGregor.
I think me and Conor running it back makes a lot of sense at this point.
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) September 10, 2019
The rematch may make sense to Poirier but McGregor was quick to remind him that he ‘fed you to the canvas in 90 seconds’.
McGregor has an elephantine mind when it comes to call-outs and ill words against him, so he was quick to remind Poirier that it was a mistake to consider him a step in the road to get to then-champion Jose Aldo.
I fed you to the canvas in 90 seconds bro.
You should have spoke my name with a bit more respect in that build up. “McGregor’s not next”
Motherfucker, it’s McGregor always!
McGregor is the goal! Always!
Say that now and I’ll think about it.#GoneIn90seconds #NicCage #AJolie— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 10, 2019
McGregor is looking to return in December, at Las Vegas, and he is unlikely to get a shot at Nurmagomedov. That honour is set to go to Tony Ferguson, and it is the fight most fans want to see [fifth time’s a charm].
As much as any McGregor fight would draw eyeballs, taking on Poirier may not appeal to him. He comprehensively defeated him five years ago and, from his August interview with Ariel Helwani, the 31-year-old seems keen on a bout with balls-out fighters such as Donald Cerrone, Justin Gaethje or the trilogy fight with Nate Diaz.
Should McGregor get a guarantee, however, that a Nurmagomedov rematch would be immediately granted after seeing off the highly-ranked Poirier, we may well have ourselves a fight.
