Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz were scheduled to fight at UFC 230 in 2018. However, both men had issues that prevented the fight from being made. Poirier was the one that withdrew first, which postponed Nate’s return to the Octagon by almost a full year.
However, now the situation is quite tantalizing. Diaz is returning to Lightweight after 4 years while Poirier is fresh off a TKO win over Conor McGregor. If Dustin is interested in money-fights, there is no money-fight bigger than Diaz for him. Especially after he has already fought Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor.
I’m training to whoop ur ass next.
Be about it don’t talk about it 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/M7FKHvIbFu— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 24, 2021
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But is this matchup feasible? Does Diaz stand a chance against champion-elect Dustin? Let’s take a look at this matchup.
Dustin Poirier vs Nate Diaz: Will this be a one-sided fight?
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The one thing both Diaz and Poirier have in common is that they have wins over Conor McGregor. However, the circumstances have changed drastically for both. Diaz has fought twice since 2016 while Poirier has been one of the most active fighters in his division. Since the last time Diaz fought, Poirier has had three bouts inside the Octagon.
Dustin Poirier is definitely going to be the favorite. While Diaz does have a hard chin and relentless cardio, he hasn’t fought at Lightweight in a while. Will he be able to withstand the power that Poirier has? Probably, as even Jorge Masvidal couldn’t knock Diaz out. However, Poirier became the first to knock Conor out.
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Diaz would have a definite advantage on the ground, but Poirier won’t be looking to take him to the ground. A Diaz brother on a good day could beat anyone. But that is something we can only find out if the pair meet. From where we stand, it seems like the definite edge goes to Dustin.