Morning Report: Dustin Poirier on close to run-in with Conor McGregor in Las Vegas: ‘It might have been unhealthy’

Dustin Poirier almost had his fourth combat with Conor McGregor.

Poirier and McGregor have a well-storied historical past, most not too long ago preventing at UFC 264 the place McGregor shattered his leg of their trilogy combat. After that bout, McGregor lobbed vicious insults and Poirier and his household, turning their rivalry right into a extra bitter kind of feud. And not too long ago that feud almost spilled over into the general public.

“No. Dude, that was loopy,” Poirier instructed Ariel Helwani about almost working into McGregor at a conference in Las Vegas. “I had simply completed my signing for Celsius and I’m partnered with a seltzer water… so I used to be strolling over to their sales space to satisfy some individuals and Conor was behind me apparently. And my agent was strolling behind me and he grabs me — Conor may need noticed the again of my head, I don’t know. I didn’t see him.

“[My agent] grabs my shoulders and says, ‘Go this manner, to the best, to the best.’ So we begin strolling to the best, I’m like, ‘The sales space is correct there!’ We’re strolling to the best and as soon as we get away from all people he’s like, ‘Dude, we nearly had a giant drawback.’ That’s what that was.”

McGregor did see Poirier as a video of their close to run-in made the rounds on social media, however didn’t attempt to fire up something with the previous interim light-weight champion. However Poirier believes that in the event that they’d seen one another, as an alternative of simply handed by, issues may need gotten dramatic.

“I don’t know, bro. We have now such an extended historical past,” Poirier stated. “He stated some foul issues. You ever watch Household Man? when Peter and the Rooster run into one another? They freaking go on this loopy combat, they’re falling down hills, they’re preventing for an hour — that’s what would have occurred.

“Yeah, for certain [we would have fought]. Simply every little thing now we have over the previous nonetheless a few years since our first combat. So certain we’d have.”

“It’s not cordial anymore,” Poirier continued. “The each of us, I consider each of us. As soon as my man walked us away and instructed me what occurred and why we needed to make that proper, I used to be like, ‘If we’d have made eye contact, if our eyes would have met, it might have been unhealthy, in all probability.”

In fact there’s a approach for the 2 males to settle their variations: a fought combat within the octagon. McGregor was presupposed to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 till an harm pressured him off the cardboard. Now the previous champ-champ has his eyes set on a 2025 return, and not too long ago urged Poirier as a doable opponent. “The Diamond” additionally not too long ago stated he intends to combat at the least one time subsequent 12 months earlier than hanging up the gloves for good, however doesn’t appear bought on the concept McGregor is definitely coming again.

“I don’t know if he’s ever going to combat once more,” Poirier stated. “… We’ll see. I don’t know. I used to be type of considering for certain he was originally of his return in opposition to Chandler, then it saved getting drug on, and I don’t know.”

DWCS. 4 extra contracts have been awarded on the ultimate episode of Contender Collection.

MMA Retirement. Donald Cerrone plans to finish his retirement, combat two extra instances.

Dislike. Dana White will not be a fan of “Cowboy” coming again.

Goal. Francis Ngannou reveals why he’s going ahead with PFL combat regardless of tragic lack of his son this 12 months.

Lawsuits. Jake Paul sued Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing proper again.

DUI. Mike Perry was arrested for DUI in his house state of Florida.

Rankings. Dana White sounds off on the UFC rankings once more following UFC 307.

Dana White scrum.

Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira on PFL Combat Week.

Contender Collection bulletins.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman.

Feels like we would have a combat.

Elegant man.

I utterly forgot Corey Anderson was champion.

Shade.

Contender Collection is formally within the books for 2024. Over 40 new UFC signees have joined the promotion prior to now couple of months and fairly a couple of of them look to be very promising. Search for my prospect breakdown from this season later this week.

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