During an Instagram Live session this week, Dana White unveiled some of the biggest matchups set for this summer, sending shockwaves through the MMA world. He kicked things off with a major announcement—Ilia Topuria had officially vacated the featherweight title, setting the stage for a 145lbs title clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes at UFC 314. However, what truly set the MMA community abuzz was the confirmation of a high-stakes showdown between seasoned veteran Michael Chandler and surging star Paddy Pimblett on the Miami card.

On the other side, Nate Diaz recently took to social media to fire shots at Dustin Poirier, who has been teasing his “last dance” in the UFC. While Poirier has been eyeing a “legends only” fight for his farewell bout, he previously dismissed Pimblett as an unworthy opponent. But Diaz wasn’t having it. Stirring the pot on X, he took a direct jab at the Louisiana native, accusing him of avoiding the Englishman: “Fight Paddy, p–sy. He better than you.”

The comment didn’t go unnoticed. Pimblett quickly caught wind of the endorsement and welcomed the support, fueling the fire ahead of his highly anticipated bout against Chandler. The Stockton export further questioned Poirier’s decision-making. The verbose fighter highlighted the American’s willingness to fight the then #12 ranked Benoit Saint-Denis while rejecting a fight with ‘The Baddy’.

“Dustin Poirier fought BSD when he was ranked 12 but won’t fight me?” Pimblett fired back on his Instagram story. Now, Pimblett has reignited the debate, addressing the situation head-on in a recent YouTube video. He first acknowledged Diaz’s backing, saying, “Nate, the G. Nate putting up… You’re a legendary shit, that you know. Everyone loves Nate. I don’t feel disrespected—I understand what he’s saying. Legends only. But I’m not a legend, and he could earn more money on a pay-per-view fighting someone else.”

However, the Englishman didn’t hold back when calling out the Louisiana export issuing a direct challenge. “But why would he retire after one fight? Stop being a sloppy bi–h arse, you know what I mean? Fight your contract out, have a few fights. He just had a good fight with Islam Makhachev, you know what I mean?” the Brit stated.

While Pimblett has only recently entered the discussion, the real tension stems from the long-standing rivalry between Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz. Their feud began in 2018 when they were scheduled to fight at UFC 230. However, the fight was scrapped after ‘The Diamond’ suffered an injury, and it never materialized.

The UFC later attempted to reschedule the bout, but according to Poirier, negotiations broke down due to disagreements between Diaz and the promotion. Poirier claimed that the Stockton native was unwilling to compromise and insisted on fighting strictly on his terms, ultimately preventing the fight from happening.

Is there a possibility of a Nate Diaz vs. Dustin Poirier fight being part of Poirier’s “last dance”?

According to Nate Diaz’s coach, Cesar Gracie, there’s a chance of the fight happening, but it would come with a hefty price tag—“millions and millions of dollars.” Throughout his UFC career, the Stockton juggernaut has earned a reputation as a fan favorite, never wavering in his mindset or principles. Alongside his older brother, Nick Diaz, Nate has helped elevate the UFC, drawing massive attention. Gracie, speaking to Submission Radio last year, expressed, “I think the UFC would have to come in with some really high numbers to get him back over there to do a fight, and he deserves that because he’s such a draw.”

Gracie’s words ring true. Nate Diaz has long been regarded as a fan favorite. For hardcore watchers, it’s never about whether the Stockton export wins or loses—they simply love watching him fight. A prime example is his back-to-back matchups with Conor McGregor at UFC 196 and UFC 202, which became two of the highest-selling UFC PPVs of all time. Nate’s journey in the UFC began when he won The Ultimate Fighter Season 5.

His career officially ended in 2022 after submitting Tony Ferguson, earning the coveted “Performance of the Night” bonus. He holds the distinction of being the third fighter in UFC history to collect 16 performance bonuses. Diaz’s ultimate departure prompted UFC CEO Dana White to honor his legacy and he stated, “No matter what Diaz does from here on out, this is his house.”

With this in mind, the possibility remains that the Stockton native could serve as Dustin Poirier’s final opponent. This is because despite retiring from MMA, Nate has continued to showcase his impressive boxing skills. What do you think of the American’s comments? Does Paddy Pimblett deserve to be Poirier’s final opponent in the rumored New Orleans fight? Share your thoughts below.