Everybody was full of praise for the UFC 236 main event war between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway for the interim lightweight belt on Saturday night, and former champion Conor McGregor was no exception, but did his post-fight comments suggest that he might be planning to rain on the new titleholder’s parade?
“Amazing main event fights. How fighting should be!” McGregor stated on Twitter after the event.
“Max you are insanely tough! Please rest up now young Uce, you are a warrior head to toe! A champion FOREVER.”
So far so good, and McGregor also had praise for Poirier too, though there also appeared to be a potential sting in the tail.
“Congratulations Dustin on a much deserved UFC title to your career,” McGregor continued. “It is Nate [Diaz] next for you like previously scheduled.”
McGregor was speaking as if Poirier vs. Diaz was a done deal, but that’s certainly not what UFC President Dana White was saying on Saturday night after the show.
“Yes, that’s the fight, Poirier will fight Khabib next,” White stated at the post-fight press conference. “Probably in September.”
That makes the most sense – Poirier just won the interim title in a classic fight and so of course he should be moving on to unify the title next, and it seems that Nurmagomedov agrees.
“I don’t agree with the judges 49:46, I got a draw, my respect to both fighters, and Porier’s achievement so far cannot be denied, my congratulations Dustin, see you in September,” Nnurmagomedov wrote.
However, everyone knows that as the biggest superstar the sport has ever known and an enormous pay-per-view draw, McGregor wields a huge amount of power in the promotion and the suggestion would appear to be that he’s targeting a rematch with Nurmagomedov next.
