Dustin Poirier Dismisses Colby Covington Callout, Eyes Nate Diaz Showdown

Dustin Poirier is well aware of Colby Covington’s callout, but he doesn’t sound all that interested in pursuing a fight against the outspoken welterweight.

Shortly after vanquishing former American Top Team training partner Jorge Masvidal in the UFC 272 headliner on March 5, Covington turned his attention to Poirier, another ATT stalwart. In an interview on the UFC Fight Night 203 post-fight show, Poirier addressed Covington’s remarks while not completely ruling out a move to 170 pounds in the future.

“It’s cute. It’s all good. It is what it is. People want big fights,” Poirier said. “That’s a big fight. He wants a big fight. Obviously, he’s not in line for the title fight. He lost twice to the champ so he probably needs a few more wins, but I would think if you want to get back to that strap, you’ve got to fight welterweight contenders.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, if I’m going to welterweight, if I’m staying at [155 pounds], we’ll see. It is what it is.”

Poirier began his UFC tenure as a featherweight before moving to 155 pounds, where he has enjoyed his greatest success, including challenging for the title on two different occasions. He admitted that he might enjoy life a little bit more at welterweight, however.

“I can still make 155, it’s just how I want to spend my days,” Poirier said. “Like, if I want to be in camp dieting hardcore, or maybe living a little bit more of a fun camp where I can eat and feel like I can heal up and just have fun training, not hating the diet. We’ll see. I’m not making any huge decisions right now. Just kind of playing the options I have.”

While Covington has made the feud personal, “The Diamond” is far more interested in a clash with Nate Diaz. That bout was supposed to happen at Madison Square Garden in 2018 but ultimately fell through.

“Nate Diaz is a fight I want,” Poirier said. “I’ve been watching him and his brother forever so it’s exciting for me. The matchup would be fun for the fans. That’s more likely than the Colby fight. This summer, I think it’s going to happen.”