Dustin Poirier instantly turned to the UFC commentary team on Fight Island and admitted he was ‘not in love with fighting’ just moments after knocking out Conor McGregor.
‘The Diamond’ exacted revenge at UFC 257 for the knockout defeat he suffered to McGregor back in 2014 at UFC 178 when they were rising featherweight contenders.
Yet the roles were reversed completely in January when Poirier unloaded heavy artillery onto the Irishman and knocked him out for the first time in his MMA career.
The two men will lock horns for a third time this Saturday night at UFC 264, with McGregor well aware he must win in order to maintain his star power in the sport.
Undoubtedly the financial motivation for a third fight with the most lucrative name in MMA was a real driving factor for Poirier, who rejected a vacant lightweight title shot in order to get at ‘The Notorious’.
It will come as a shock to learn that Poirier’s first words in the immediate aftermath suggested his appetite for the fight game was dwindling, as behind-the-scenes footage from BT Sports shows.
“I don’t like this,” he said. “I don’t like fighting anymore. I’m not in love with this no more, but I’m a dog baby.”
In the dressing room after the fight, McGregor could be seen close to tears as well as he attended to the calf which Poirier had decimated with leg kicks.
Victory for either man on Saturday night will surely set up a UFC lightweight title fight with current belt holder Charles Oliveira.
The Brazilian knocked out Michael Chandler in a vacant title fight at UFC 262, with either Poirier or McGregor lined up as his first defence.
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