"A donation, not a debt" - When a $500K controversy soured Conor McGregor-Dustin Poirier's rivalry after respectful second fight 

A seemingly straightforward charitable pledge spiraled into a heated exchange, ultimately souring the initially respectful rivalry between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

Leading up to their second fight at UFC 257 in January 2021, the two lightweights agreed to a $500K charitable wager - the loser would donate the sum to the winner's chosen foundation. However, after McGregor's second-round defeat, accusations flew when Poirier claimed the Irishman failed to follow through.

Poirier took to X, publicly calling out 'The Notorious' for allegedly "dodging" his team's attempts to collect the donation.

“That’s a fun prediction! @TheNotoriousMMA (McGregor’s X handle) you also predicted a donation to my foundation and you and your team stopped responding after the fight in January. See you soon. July 10th Paid In Full!”

This social media tirade seemingly angered McGregor, who initially scrapped their highly anticipated trilogy fight.

Check out Conor McGregor's response below:

Following the outburst, a quick turnaround emerged. Poirier apologized for making the matter public, and the Irishman eventually made a $500K donation, albeit not to Poirier's designated charity.

Despite the donation ultimately reaching a worthy cause, the Boys and Girls Club of Acadiana in Poirier's hometown, the incident appeared to be a turning point in their rivalry. The public dispute seemingly fueled animosity, with McGregor adopting a more aggressive approach in the lead-up to their third fight at UFC 264.

---

Dustin Poirier unsure of reconciliation with Conor McGregor

Dustin Poirier seems uninterested in ending his feud with Conor McGregor. The pair's rivalry has spanned three heated fights, with Poirier currently holding a 2-1 edge.

Their initial encounter, a featherweight bout in 2014, saw McGregor dominate en route to a first-round TKO win. Poirier evened the score in their 2021 lightweight rematch with a second-round TKO. Their final clash, also in 2021, ended abruptly due to a leg injury sustained by McGregor, giving Poirier a TKO victory.

McGregor recently outlined a comeback plan aiming for fights against Michael Chandler. However, the matchup is yet to be officially announced.

Following his most recent victory against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299, McGregor offered a congratulatory tweet acknowledging both fighters' French heritage. This prompted a response from Poirier during the post-fight press conference, where he referenced the right hook that secured him the win in their rematch.

When questioned about the possibility of burying the hatchet with McGregor, Poirier's response was definitive:

"That beef will never be squashed. No."

When asked about a potential fourth fight with McGregor if he returns to fighting, Poirier left the door open:

"We'll see. Yeah."

Check out Dustin Poirier's response on feud with Conor McGregor below:(1:20):