The last time Dustin Poirier spoke about Conor McGregor, he compared their rivalry to Ernie the Giant Chicken and Peter Griffin from ‘Family Guy.’ The context? His near run-in with McGregor in Vegas late last year. So it’s safe to say that for Poirier, it’s on sight if he sees McGregor, which is why it was so surprising to see some rare words of praise for the Irish fighter from ‘The Diamond.’ They have faced each other thrice, with Dustin leading the score by 2-1. Apart from the wars they both bring to the Octagon, huge paydays are involved for each. And so, ‘The Diamond’ won’t mind a few millions to be added to his account for his final fight in the UFC.  

In his interview on Outta Pocket with RG3 on YouTube, Poirier had some words of praise for ‘the Notorious’. The Louisiana native was asked if it is difficult for fighters like Conor McGregor to return to their prime form, especially after achieving all the money and the success there is to offer. On which he added, “Look, I’d love to talk down on, talk trash on Conor, but if anybody can put it all together and come back, if he can find that passion and fire and put it together…this guy can. I’m not saying, anybody, but this guy can. He’s special.”  

When asked if he would like to have another fight with Conor, he said, “We sold some pay-per-views! If I fight him again it’ll be just for the money. Cause it feels so nice I’ve whipped him twice.”  Dustin’s fight with Conor at UFC 264 in 2021, earned him the biggest payday of his life. The Louisiana-born UFC star reportedly made a staggering $5.12 million on the night. This included $1.5M as his base salary and a massive $3.6 million as his PPV payout (as per MMAsalaries.com).

The two PPVs, UFC 257 and UFC 264, are ranked in the top 10 highest-grossing PPVs of all time for the promotion. So it’s no surprise Poirier would not mind a fourth meeting with ‘Mystic Mac’ as his retirement bout. ‘The Diamond’s comments sounded like even despite the hate, he does not mind a big payday against McGregor before riding off to the sunset in his MMA career. We all know that Dustin Poirier has decided to retire after one more fight in the UFC. He has also expressed his wish to fight ‘Legends Only’ for his final walk to the Octagon.

Be that as it may, the fans were not too thrilled with what they heard. They had a few things to say to the former interim champion, on multiple fronts.

Dustin Poirier stopped in his tracks after Conor McGregor comments

Dustin Poirier’s interview spurred mixed reactions from the fans. Many are of the opinion that Dustin is eyeing a last huge payday. And they are not wrong if we look at the numbers. Some of the reactions read “DP ready for the red pantie night again hahaha!”, “Bros wants a payday” and “Buddy just wants retirement conor fight.”

This makes sense. Poirier’s last fight is slated to happen in June. Why not book Poirier vs. McGregor 4 and seek a fitting end to their rivalry? McGregor’s prospective opponent Michael Chandler is fighting in April against Paddy Pimblett, so this should give an excuse to the UFC to pursue the quadrilogy. But the bigger question here is, does Conor McGregor even want to fight again?

Some believe that Conor McGregor’s days of fighting are over and he does not have what it takes to make a comeback. A few of the opinions read, “Even if he finds that passion and that fire is re-lit It’s too late. He’s lost his step and he’s let his body age. This is coming from a huge prime Conor fan.”, “He’s cracked out of his mind. He’s the one person I would say will never have a comeback.”, “His best bet is bare knuckle. His next best bet is just being a good person”,  and “2015 Conor could. Not sure about 2025 Conor”

However, there is still a sect of fans who believe that once battled against each other, a sense of respect always develops between the rivals. Some of the comments suggested just that, giving a nod to their clash for the 4th time, “Dustin is such a genuine awesome dude. He’s such a good example of how a professional fighter should be.”, “That’s true he’s special. I think whatever he wants truly he will attain.” and, “Dustin and Conor hate each other but you can’t help but respect someone you battled against that many times. Warriors”. 

Which side of the opinion do you sit on? Is this a desperate move by ‘The Diamond’ to make big money before his retirement, a sense of true respect towards ‘the Notorious’ despite their heated past, or was it just a simple conversation in a podcast that meant absolutely nothing? Let us know in the comments.