Dustin Poirier is so eager to get another fight booked that he’s now warmed up to the idea of fighting Colby Covington at welterweight, despite having previously vowed not to due to his intense dislike for his former teammate.
“I don’t hate anyone,” Poirier said on ‘The MMA Hour’ show. “But if there was a line before hate, Colby’s standing there. I really dislike the guy and I’ve been saying I don’t want him to make a dollar off of fighting me. They offered me him last week. … It was either way until the end of the year and fight for a No. 1 contender at lightweight, or it’s the end of July and that’s the name that they gave me.
“It’s not a callout of him. I’m not going out of my way. I don’t want to fight the guy. I don’t want him profiting anything off of me. But if they’re not going to give me a fight until the end of the year and this is what you’re giving me, I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. I don’t want to sit in a holding pattern. I fought in December, I don’t want to sit in a holding pattern for 10, 11 months.”
Despite having verbally agreed to the idea of going up against Covington, Poirier admits that he’s already regretting having done so.
“I’m kind of pissed off at myself for saying I would do it,” Poirier said. “Not that I’m worried about the guy or his skillset or anything like that. I just don’t want the f*cking guy to prosper because I said yes to a fight with him. I don’t want that. I don’t want him to make a dollar off of anything I’ve done, or fighting me, period. But you get a glass of whiskey in your. They call you a couple days before. Sh*t happens, and then you fight. So f*ck it. At least if it’s a fight that happens, it’s not a fight I’m going to take any damage in with this f*cking guy.”
Poirier went on to spell out exactly why he has built up such animosity towards Covington.
“He’s everything I dislike about mixed martial arts,” Poirier said. “He’s a cartoon character. Everything he does is for an extra click, view. None of it’s authentic. He can wrestle. He’s tough. I’ve been around him for years, I know him from being around the gym with him since 2012, 2013ish. He’s just a fake, a phony.
“It’s messed up. You don’t talk about other people’s family, but then again I know it’s an act and a character. But there are lines that are being crossed. I think guys do that. Same thing with Conor. Talking about my wife. These guys know I don’t give a f*ck about that stuff no more. I said that after I knocked Conor’s ass out in Dubai. … So they’re trying to attach things that they know I do care about, which is my family, my daughter.”
Despite all the talk about Covington, Poirier insists that he is still ready, willing and able to fight any of the leading contenders at 155lbs too, as long as it happens sooner rather than later.
“I was the one telling people they could offer me $10 million and I wouldn’t fight [Covington],” Poirier said. “But, I want to fight. … I’ll fight (Michael) Chandler, I’ll fight (Justin) Gaethje. If Tony (Ferguson) comes back down to 155 and gets a win I’ll fight Tony. I’ll fight anybody. Anyone. Anyone that makes sense.”
That being said, there is still one potential opponent who he’d most like to lock horns with.
“Me and Nate Diaz are fighting in Dallas at 170,” Poirier said of his ideal scenario. “Boom. Done. Circle your calendars.”
