Dustin Poirier, the former interim lightweight champion, is currently on a hiatus after falling short of reclaiming the title from division king Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 earlier this summer. Since then, rumors of Poirier’s retirement have stirred both excitement and disappointment in the combat sports community. These speculations intensified when he was featured as a guest analyst on ESPN, leading fans to wonder if he might retire. However, earlier this month, ‘Diamond’ reignited the MMA world’s interest with a cryptic social media post stating, “The game is on.” Since then, fans have eagerly awaited updates on his potential return.

Now, Dustin Poirier has shocked the world again by shifting the focus from the upcoming UFC Salt Lake City event to himself with another cryptic message on Twitter that simply read, “trilogy.” This likely hints at his unfinished business with Justin Gaethje, with whom he has yet to complete their trilogy fight.

Rumors of this trilogy are enough to pump up the MMA community because whenever Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje’s paths crossed, it ended in crazy knockouts. In their first face-off back in 2018, Poirier knocked Gaethje out cold in the fourth round. However, a few years later, Justin Gaethje geared up to avenge his defeat against Poirier at UFC 291, where Gaethje succeeded in a knockout in the second round.

Since then, MMA fans have been craving a trilogy to see who will come out on top in their third matchup, but a big dilemma has emerged: Dustin Poirier hinted at the trilogy, while on the other side, Justin Gaethje and Team Khabib’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, are setting their sights on making a potential fight between Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje, which he recently discussed in an interview.

Ali Abdelaziz suggests Justin Gaethje as a suitable opponent for Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor’s return to the octagon is in limbo as his desired opponent, Michael Chandler, has suddenly decided to stop waiting for him after two years and set his sights on Charles Oliveira for the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden. This has left McGregor’s future uncertain, with one question on fans’ minds: Who will be McGregor’s next opponent? While we may not have an answer yet, McGregor’s arch-enemy, Team Khabib’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, might have a suggestion.

‘Team Khabib’s’ manager has put forward his other client, Justin Gaethje, as the most suitable opponent for McGregor’s return to the octagon, which has been pending since 2021. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Abdelaziz stated, “Listen, I think this guy [McGregor] is… I personally don’t think he’s ever going to fight again. But it’s a fight out there. He’s always been looming. If he decides to fight again, I think he can fight Gaethje. Gaethje doesn’t have a fight; they don’t have a fight.”

What are your thoughts on the cryptic message from Dustin Poirier? Do you believe Dustin Poirier will face Justin Gaethje in his “final dance,” or is he just bluffing? Drop your opinion below.