Dana White has a theory as to why Dustin Poirier's wife sent a DM to Conor McGregor on Instagram
UFC president Dana White has a theory as to why Dustin Poirier’s wife sent a DM to Conor McGregor on Instagram.
The 51-year-old believes that Jolie Poirier had contacted McGregor on the social media platform to discuss the donation he’d promised to make to the Poiriers’ ‘Good Fight Foundation.’
Speaking to Newsmax TV, Dana White spoke about the alleged Instagram DM request that Jolie Poirier sent to Conor McGregor. When asked why he thinks Dustin Poirier’s wife attempted to contact Conor McGregor, White replied:
“So, there was a; I haven’t heard, but what I would assume it was is there was a huge beef between both camps over the donation to Poirier’s charity. And I’m sure the wife was reaching out about the donation for the charity.”
Newsmax news presenter Greg Kelly then lightheartedly suggested that Dana White’s opinion is just one theory as to what happened. White responded by saying:
“I assure you that’s what she (Jolie Poirier) was reaching out to.” (*Video courtesy: Newsmax; H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier first fought at UFC 178 (September 2014), with the former winning via first-round TKO.
The duo's rematch took place at UFC 257 (January 2021). Poirier defeated McGregor via second-round TKO.
The buildup to the two fights was extremely different. The first fight saw Conor McGregor unleash relentless metal warfare attacks against Dustin Poirier. However, the Irishman was incredibly respectful ahead of the rematch.
Leading up to the rematch, McGregor had even promised to donate $500K to the Good Fight Foundation.
In the months that followed, however, Dustin Poirier took to social media and alleged that Conor McGregor had “ghosted” him and his team. Poirier claimed that McGregor and his team weren’t responding to messages regarding the donation.
The Irishman fired back at Poirier and suggested that his team simply wanted to know where and what the donated funds would be used for.
Conor McGregor indicated that Dustin Poirier and his team weren’t providing him with the requisite details, which is why the donation hasn’t been approved yet. The war of words escalated from there on, leading up to their trilogy fight at UFC 264 on July 10th, 2021.
A few days ahead of their UFC 264 fight, Conor McGregor took to social media to post a screenshot of an Instagram DM request that he claims Jolie Poirier sent him. Dustin Poirier, on his part, claimed that the screenshot was fake.
The war of words continued right up to the moment the duo stepped into the octagon.
The Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier feud didn't end at UFC 264
The UFC 264 matchup ended due to a horrific incident, as Conor McGregor suffered a lower leg injury that rendered him unable to continue the fight. Dustin Poirier was declared the winner via first-round TKO, but the rivalry didn’t end there.
Dustin Poirier went on to mock the injured Conor McGregor’s iconic ‘Billionaire Strut,’ while Jolie Poirier flipped the bird at the Irishman.
Meanwhile, McGregor lashed out at the Poiriers during his post-fight octagon interview with Joe Rogan. He said:
“Your wife is in my DMs. Hey baby, hit me back up on chat later on. We'll be at the after party, the Wynn nightclub, baby. You're looking fit, you little h*e. F*** him.”
Conor McGregor is expected to recover from his injuries and return in 2022. Meanwhile, Dustin Poirier is likely to fight UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the title later this year (2021).