Dustin Poirier is not putting any of his energy into the idea of another fight against Conor McGregor.
Poirier (28-6 MMA, 20-5 UFC) is currently preparing for perhaps the most important fight of his career, as he’s scheduled to challenge Charles Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) for the UFC lightweight title in the UFC 269 main event on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas. The card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
The championship opportunity comes on the heels of back-to-back stoppage wins over McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), giving “The Diamond” a 2-1 edge in their trilogy. The final result, however, left a lack of definitiveness in the eyes of McGregor, who suffered a broken leg in the first round at UFC 264 in July that prevented him from continuing.
McGregor has since been adamant there’s unfinished business to “be settled” with Poirier, and insists a fourth fight between them is a must for the future. Poirier said that possibility is far removed from his mind at this point, and he’s happy to focus on gold while McGregor chirps from the sidelines.
“As far as right now, for sure, it’s in the past,” Poirier recently told MMA Junkie. “I’m not even thinking about that. But he says a lot of sh*t. Keep talking.”
Poirier, 32, said all his drive is currently centered on leaving UFC 269 as the undisputed 155-pound champion. What comes after that is anyone’s guess, Poirier said.
Over the years, Poirier’s stance has fluctuated in terms of his longevity in the sport and what his goals are. Winning the belt would scratch a huge remaining objective off his list, then Poirier said he’ll reevaluate from there.
Poirier is always wise enough to keep his options open, though, and he’s not ruling anything out – from another McGregor fight to a long-discussed move up to the welterweight division. One thing Poirier knows for sure, though, is that he won’t be hanging up the gloves.
“I’m not retiring,” Poirier. “I’m 32, man. I’m feeling good. If anything, I’ll probably go up to 170, if anything. Honestly my goal isn’t to try to have the most title defenses. I don’t know. We’ll see. One day at a time. None of that is a reality until Dec. 11 and I get my hand raised.”
