UFC star Dustin Poirier expects to face Nate Diaz at welterweight before retiring after their 2018 fight was axed
DUSTIN POIRIER expects to face Nate Diaz before retiring to settle the feud which has grown since their cancelled 2018 fight.
Diaz has been vocal of late about fighting the American lightweight, who knocked out Conor McGregor in January.
Poirier, 32, who was KO’d by McGregor in 2014, is now set for a summer trilogy bout against the Irishman.
But he is leaving the door open to stepping up in weight, where Diaz, 35, will be waiting for him.
Poirier said on The Joe Rogan Experience: “I think before I’m done fighting, I’m going to fight 170.
“I’ll go up to 170 and fight Nate. For sure. I do because of the way it fell apart.”
The pair were scheduled to co-headline UFC 230, but Poirier was forced to pull out with a hip injury.
By the time the UFC attempted to reschedule, Diaz failed to agree terms.
And with Poirier not interested in an alternative opponent, he underwent surgery and the fight fell through.
He explained: “Me and him were supposed to fight at Madison Square Garden.
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“I kind of was the fall guy – he gets to point and say I pulled out of the fight and I did. I went to get stem cells done on my hip.
“But I was going to fight, I was going to go through a camp and fight him if they wouldn’t have started offering me other replacement opponents.
“Nate was playing games with the UFC, UFC started offering me opponents and I said, ‘Look guys, if this is happening, I’m just going to have my hip taken care of.’
“He’s a guy I’ve always wanted to fight.”
Diaz last fought in November 2019 losing to Jorge Masvidal, 36, by third round stoppage due to a gruesome gash.
The UFC veteran has confirmed plans for a return this year and called to fight Poirier and Charles Oliveira, 31.
But Poirier is in talks for an immediate rematch with McGregor, who himself is tied at one apiece with Diaz.