D. Poirier promises to be another fighter for the rematch against C. McGregor. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
It took a while, but the UFC finally made the rematch between Conor McGregor e Dustin poirier. The duo's new meeting will be the main fight of the 257th edition, which will take place on January 23rd, and will put the winner very close to the lightweight belt (70,3kg). Poirier, more than anyone, knows the importance of the confrontation and promised to be a completely different athlete than he was in the first fight, held in 2014.
In an interview with the North American website MMA Junkie, 'The Diamond' explained that, at the time, he did not know how to deal with the Irish star's provocations and highlighted that, currently, both have become victorious and experienced athletes. Furthermore, Poirier revealed that, despite having been defeated in the first fight, he does not treat the new duel as a personal revenge.
“McGregor is very good, he has knocked out many fighters, but currently we are more established in the sport, we have more experience and maturity. This fight will be completely different from the first. When I was younger, I used to fight with a lot of emotion, I fell for McGregor's taunts and wanted to hurt him. This time, I just want to be smarter and win. I don't hold grudges, it's not about revenge. This doesn't work for me. It's about taking a step forward in my career, about putting my family in a better position. I'm not looking to settle accounts with a fighter who defeated me. It’s just business,” Poirier said.
The former interim lightweight champion also informed that he was not obsessed with facing 'The Notorious' again, but knew that a new clash could happen, due to the trajectory of both in the sport.
“I no longer thought about the rematch, but I knew it was a possibility. It makes sense, at this moment, because of the ranking and availability of fighters. We won the last fight, but it was never something I pursued. It's the same thing that happened to me and Holloway. Me, Holloway and McGregor became different fighters. This is another fight and I don’t care what happened in the first one”, he concluded.
The first fight between Conor McGregor e Dustin poirier was held in 2014 and, on that occasion, the Irish star knocked out the North American in the first round. At the time, they both had a heavy trash talk. Currently, the duo has left their animosity behind and has even shown interest in holding a charity fight to help charities.
