While negotiations are all over the place, there still may be a chance fight fans get to see Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz face off inside the octagon.
Poirier, the former interim UFC Lightweight Champion, is waiting patiently for a fight between him and Diaz to come to fruition. Speaking on THE FIGHT! With Teddy Atlas, Poirier, who has been engaging in a social media battle with Diaz over the last few months, agreed to a “short notice” fight with the latter. Contracts have not been signed as of now. While a fight could happen as early as February, the UFC has no current plans to rush a scrap between the two.
“It’s a very short notice thing,” Poirier said, via MMA Fighting. “Something I would hate to do is stack things against myself and take a fight on short notice, but, we’ll see what happens, man. I don’t want to give too much ‘cause I don’t know what I can say. No contract has been signed yet, but if this goes go through, I’m gonna take it. I said yes, now we’re waiting on him.”
Poirier is coming off a submission loss at UFC 269 against UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira. Before that, “The Diamond” was on a three-fight win streak, with two wins in a row over Conor McGregor in 2021. Making his MMA debut in 2009, Poirier joined the UFC in 2011 and is 20-6 with one no-contest in 27 fights.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 5 in 2007, Diaz turned pro in 2004. Always one to make a fight entertaining, Diaz is 15-11 with the UFC. After about two years away from the octagon, Diaz returned in June at UFC 263 and lost to Leon Edwards.
Diaz responded with a message to Poirier, while also taking a jab at Oliveira.
“I just talked to the ufc I said wassup with the Dp fight I wanna fight asap but they said dustin sucks and they don’t want it sorry Dustin you suck hope to fight asap tho let’s do this 👊🏼 Ps Olivera you suck too”
I just talked to the ufc I said wassup with the Dp fight I wanna fight asap but they said dustin sucks and they don’t want it sorry Dustin you suck hope to fight asap tho let’s do this 👊🏼
Ps Olivera you suck too— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 5, 2022
The two were scheduled to fight one another in 2018 at UFC 230 inside Madison Square Garden. Poirier pulled out of the fight due to injury a few weeks before the event, however.
A potential fight between Diaz and Poirier would be the final bout under the former’s current deal with the UFC.