Dustin Poirier says he wouldn't wait over one year for Conor McGregor fight like Michael Chandler did: "Not two years"
Dustin Poirier isn't so sure about Michael Chandler's decision to wait to face Conor McGregor. McGregor vs. Chandler was first announced at the beginning of 2023 when Dana White confirmed the pair would be coaching opposite one another on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter.
Their bout was then expected to take place at the culmination of the show but McGregor began filming for Amazon Prime's 2024 Road House remake.
Months later, following the UFC 300 broadcast, White officially announced that McGregor vs. Chandler would take place at UFC 303 in Las Vegas. Once again the fight fell through after Conor McGregor suffered a broken toe whilst training.
It is now believed that Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will be announced for a UFC PPV in December 2024 although there has yet to be any official confirmation.
With that in mind, Dustin Poirier shared his thoughts on the situation during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour. According to Poirier, who holds wins over both McGregor and Chandler, it's only worth the wait if the fight happens. He said:
"If it does happen and he did the right thing on the back end, he's gonna be paid and set him and his family up. If it doesn't happen, you're wasting a lot of years. In this game, we get old quick. You leave two years and come back, you can look like a different person."
When asked if he would have waited two years to face 'The Notorious', Poirier said:
"I don't think so. Not two years, no."
Catch Dustin Poirier's comments here (11:55):
Dustin Poirier addresses Conor McGregor's UFC 303 withdrawal
Dustin Poirier has criticized Conor McGegor's decision to withdraw from his UFC 303 bout against Michael Chandler. The Irishman confirmed he would be unable to fight after suffering a broken toe during his fight camp.
Following the announcement that he was out of his clash against Chandler, 'The Notorious' took to social media to provide an update. The Irishman stated that whilst he was gutted to be injured, he believes he owes it to the fans and himself to fight when he is completely healthy.
Dustin Poirier has disagreed, however, and believes that a broken toe is no excuse no reason to 'pull out' of a fight. Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, he said:
"Dude, a pinky toe? It's like, I've fought with so many injuries. Like Conor said he's fought with a lot of injuries he doesn't want to - I've fought with a lot of injuries over the years, but a pinky toe doesn't seem like a reason to pull out of a fight, you know? But also I don't know - like giving him his respect, I also don't know the severity of it."
Catch Poirier's comments on Conor McGregor here: