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Dustin Poirier has revealed why Conor McGregor refused to fight him in a higher weight class at UFC 264.
'The Diamond' claimed that he was initially pushing for the trilogy fight to take place at welterweight, but McGregor wanted it at 155 pounds and so did the UFC.
During a recent interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, Dustin Poirier said his goal is to prove that his victory at UFC 257 wasn't a fluke.
However, Poirier believes McGregor is heading into UFC 264 in hopes of still staying relevant.
Poirier believes the winner of the UFC 264 headliner will get a shot at the UFC lightweight title next.
"It's me trying to show that January wasn't a fluke, him trying to show that he's still relevant, that he still wants to be world champion at 155 pounds. I was pushing to fight at a heavier weight. He wants to do it at '55, UFC wants it at '55, so I know what that means. The winner of this fight is fighting for the belt."
At UFC 257, Dustin Poirier put together one of the most clinical performances of his career. A resilient Poirier was able to finish McGregor via a second-round TKO and secure his revenge in their rematch..
The former interim UFC lightweight champion will hope to replicate a similar performance when he steps into the octagon against the Irishman for the third time on July 10.
Dustin Poirier will edge one step closer to UFC gold with victory at UFC 264
At UFC 264, Dustin Poirier has the chance to make history by handing Conor McGregor his second loss of 2021. 'The Diamond' has been on an impressive run in the lightweight division since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019.
In 2020, Poirier won his comeback fight against Dan Hooker in an absolute slugfest between the pair. With the win, 'The Diamond' secured his rematch against McGregor and on July 10, will aim to end his rivalry with 'The Notorious' with yet another victory.
A win in Las Vegas would earn Poirier a shot at Charles Oliveira's UFC lightweight championship.
