Dustin Poirier’s next move is coming along a lot faster than we anticipated, with “El Diamante” all but confirming a short-notice bout with UFC veteran Nate Diaz.
In a recent appearance on The Fight With Teddy Atlas, Poirier revealed that he’s been talking to Diaz’s camp about a potential fight.
Poirer Reveals Short Notice Fight With Nate Diaz
“It is Nate Diaz/
I’m not going to say a card. I’m not going to say what date. But he got on Twitter talking.
This guy really fights and I’m a fan of him, but everybody’s a tough guy on the internet. He said something like, ‘Let’s do it.’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure. I’ll really fight you this month.’”
Although the two have yet to sign a contract, this might signal Poirier’s long-anticipated move up from lightweight to welterweight. Poirier reportedly walks around far heavier than the lightweight division’s 155 pounds, and Nate Diaz is comfortably at 170. If Poirier vs Diaz goes ahead, is may well herald a new beginning for Poirier, who just came off his second failed lightweight title challenge.
“No contract has been signed yet, but if this does go through I’m going to take it.
This would be super short-notice. I already looked myself in the mirror. I spoke to my wife (Jolie) and my boxing coach (Dyah Davis) – people I talk to regularly. I talked to my coach Mike Brown as well.
They support me if I want to take this fight, but I have to look myself in the mirror and ask, ‘Do I want to take this fight.’ I did exactly that. I looked in the mirror and I just felt good.’”
Nate Diaz, like Dustin Poirier, will enter the fight with a recent loss on his record. Diaz’s two most recent fights, against Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards, respectively, ended in disappointment for the Stockton native. Whether, at this late stage of Diaz’s legendary career, he can stand up to Dustin Poirier’s high-pressure ground-and-pound game is another story. Likewise, Dustin Poirier has historically struggled against elite jiu-jitsu practitioners – including his two submission losses to lightweight champions – and Nate Diaz has a brutal arsenal of submissions at his disposal.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this fight, should it come to fruition, is the looming specter of Conor McGregor. McGregor has unfinished business – or so he claims – with Poirier and Diaz, and with McGregor showing off a massive, bulky physique these days, it’s plausible that he, too leaves 155 behind, and returns to the Octagon at 170 pounds.
A trilogy fight with Nate Diaz or a grudge match against Dustin Poirier would make a lot of sense for McGregor, if he can come back in time. Do you want to see Diaz vs Poirier? Let us know in the comments.
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