Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz still have unfinished business.
Diaz and Poirier are two of the most popular fighters in UFC history, and were once supposed to fight each other at UFC 230. Unfortunately, that fight fell through, and since then, the two have regularly sniped at each other in the media. That continued this past weekend when Diaz fought Mike Perry in the co-main event of the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight card on Netflix.
Diaz lost to Perry by corner stoppage after the second round,
but during his post-fight media, Diaz again spoke about Poirier, saying he has no interest in fighting anybody who is retired, which Poirier did last year. Speaking on his show, Deep Waters, Poirier responded to his rival.
“We’ve been circling each other for years and years and years,” Poirier said. “We could have fought. He knows that. I wish he would be honest with the fans and say he pulled out, or didn’t come to terms with the UFC, whatever it was, for the couple of times we were supposed to fight, that it never happened.
“But dude, after the way he looked on Saturday night, he can’t talk right now. He needs to take a break. He needs to go get some sleep and rest. Not me, you know. He looked like dog shit. He looked horrible. He looked like he didn’t want to be in there, looked like a punching bag, looked off balance, his timing was horrible. I mean, when somebody loses, I don’t like to shit on them too hard, but he knows. He looked horrible.”
Diaz certainly did not have an inspiring performance against Perry, looking out of his depth from the start, and getting battered for much of the fight. And while he may be retired now, Poirier is happy to un-retire to get the fight that got away.
“My invitation is still out there,” Poirier said. “At 170, I’ll go back in the drug testing protocol, whatever. I will knock Nate Diaz complete out. …
“It’s crazy that he’s bringing me up in a post-fight,” Poirier added later. “ Apparently, he wants to fight, or he’s thinking about it. And it’s just like, after a performance like that, it’s like, what am I doing? It’s like I’m picking on somebody if I’m chasing Nate Diaz, the way he’s looking. It’s like I’m picking on the easy fight, easy win. But Nate Diaz, I will knock you clean out if we fight.”
That’s a big if. Poirier would still need to be released from his UFC contract to pursue a fight with Diaz, something that the promotion rarely allows. Otherwise, Diaz would need to return to the UFC, and from Poirier’s perspective, that’s the opposite of what Nate should be considering right now.
“Listen, bro, even though I talk about Nate, and I want to beat his ass, I’m a fan,” Poirier said. “I’ve been a fan of him and his brother for a long time. But that was the worst I’ve ever seen him. …
“He’s just 41 years old and has a million miles. You can’t keep that fighting style, the way he fights, forever. It’s coming to the end.”
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Weight. Rousey vs. Carano fight night weights: One fighter gained over 27 pounds after weigh-ins.
Out. Rousey vs. Carano medical suspensions: Junior dos Santos suspended indefinitely after brutal knockout loss.
Farewell. Colby Covington notifies UFC of retirement.
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VIDEO STEW
Behind the scenes of UFC 300.
Conor McGregor marathon.
Justin Gaethje fight camp.
Cooking with Volk.
FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR
Fighter vs. Writer.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Sean Strickland refuses to stop training.
Mike Perry.
Choices.
Sounds like a celebration.
Tony being Tony.
Good post.
FEED ME MORE
Mailbag!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Yeah, Poirier would slaughter Nate Diaz at this stage of things. No need to have that fight. Let’s all just move on and keep that one in the pile of “Fights We Never Got to See.”
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