It looks like we have our answer for what is next for Dustin Poirier as the questions circling the fate of the UFC lightweight championship remain fluid.
In an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday, Dana White confirmed that the UFC is targeting a trilogy fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor for this summer. White believes the fight makes sense from a rankings and fighter-relations perspective after both participants called for the bout.
“Well, when you have two guys that are in their positions—Dustin is the No. 1 ranked guy in the world, you got Conor who is ranked No. 6, and they want the trilogy, you got to go with the trilogy,” White said. “We’re probably going to try to put that fight together this summer.”
How Will A Poirier/McGregor Trilogy Fight Play Out?
Absent from White’s explanation is the usual, “It’s the fight the fans want to see” line or any mention of how much money the trilogy fight stands to make. But what White would add to his reasoning behind targeting the trilogy is how intriguing a third fight would be sportswise after seeing how the sequel played out.
“If you look at Conor, if you look at the way he fought, the leg kicks that he was eating, the stance he was in, he was completely overlooking Dustin Poirier,” White said . “I’m not taking anything away from Poirier, but when you pull in on a super yacht [in Abu Dhabi] and you’re living the life that Conor lives, you need to be hungry, and you need to take every guy serious. It doesn’t matter how you beat Dustin Poirier the first time, that’s not the same guy you are going to be facing and obviously Dustin Poirier is training like it’s the most important fight of his life.
“There were a lot of things lined up there for the upset. I guess the good part is the trilogy McGregor is hungrier that he’s ever been, he wants this fight back, he wants this fight badly so it will be a fun third fight.”
In another interview this week, White was asked if the trilogy fight would be for the vacant lightweight title. White quickly shot that down, partly because he continues to hold out hope for a return of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Do you think a trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is the right fight to make right now?
