"Neither of us are ducking" - Dustin Poirier hints UFC is blocking fight with Nate Diaz

Dustin Poirier (left) and Nate Diaz (right) [Image courtesy - @ufc on Twitter]

The UFC's handling of the ongoing situation between Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier seems to be getting messier with every passing day. Both Diaz and Poirier have previously mentioned wanting to fight one another, but the promotion seems reluctant to book a matchup between two of its biggest stars.

Rumors are that the UFC is waiting for Conor McGregor to heal up and return to the cage so they can book him for a trilogy fight with the Stockton native. Since there is just one fight left on Diaz's contract and he's unwilling to extend it further, the promotion likely wants to make the most of his final fight from a business/revenue perspective.

Replying to a fan on social media recently, Dustin Poirier stated that there's no chance of him and Diaz sharing the octagon during international fight week in July.

Check out the tweet below:

0 twitter.com/NateDiazShadow…

When another fan asked the Louisianan if Diaz was ducking the fight, he responded by saying that neither he nor the Stockton native were doing so, hinting at the UFC's reluctance to let them scrap.

"Neither of us are ducking,"

Check out the tweet below:

Neither of us are ducking twitter.com/DatSalmonGirl/…

Gilbert Burns open to fighting both Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz next

Heading into his title fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 back in December 2021, Poirier said he's mulling the possibility of a move to welterweight. 'The Diamond' doesn't seem too keen to make the gruesome cut to 155lbs moving forward. However, he is yet to confirm the same.

Former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns recently expressed a desire to welcome Poirier to the 170lbs division. Responding to a tweet by 'The Diamond' saying he wants to fight, 'Durinho' seemingly asked him if he's game to fight at 170lbs. Poirier, however, is yet to respond.

Check out the tweet by Burns below:

170? 👀 twitter.com/DustinPoirier/…

Burns is also open to fighting Diaz next and shared a fan-made/photoshopped poster for UFC 281 (set to take place in October) featuring him and the 37-year-old, urging the promotion to book the fight. If the UFC is indeed trying to book Diaz against McGregor next, it could make sense for 'Durinho' and 'The Diamond' to collide inside the cage.

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