Few rivalries in UFC history are as legendary as the trilogy between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. The two first faced off back in 2014 during the Irishman's initial ascent in the sport at UFC 178. 12 years and two more fights later, it seems the tension between them has not died down yet.
Their first fight saw Conor McGregor coin the iconic 'silly, little hillbilly' phrase during their media appearance. For their rematch in 2021, the Irishman was on his best behavior. He even promised to donate half a million dollars to Poirier's foundation with the latter giving the Irishman a bottle of hot sauce in return.
However, when Poirier ultimately knocked out McGregor in that bout, their relationship went sideways immediately. During their third bout, the Irishman showed the most nasty and vicious side of him yet. He made comments on Poirier's family, and called him 'Jolie's wife'. The ending to that fight was also iconic for all the wrong reasons.
After a competitive start, 'The Notorious' snapped his shin in half while attempting to throw a kick. However, that did nothing to deter him as he accused Poirier's wife of infidelity while sitting in the octagon with a broken leg, being interviewed by Joe Rogan.
Perhaps that is why Poirier chose to troll McGregor during the Deep Waters podcast on CBS. Chris Weidman wished the best for the Irishman in recovering from his gruesome injury but the 'Diamond' did not.
Not me. I hope the worst for him. No, I'm just kidding.
It appears the hate for the Irishman still lives on in the heart of the Louisiana native. While Poirier could just be trolling and making fun of Conor McGregor, it is also possible that the wounds have not healed yet.
After all, going after someone's family, even if it is to promote a fight, can have dire consequences. This was true for Khabib Nurmagomedov as he spat on McGregor after he tapped at UFC 229 during their fight. Now, it also probably holds true for the 'Diamond' as well.
However, what sets the two situations apart is the former double champion's attempt to reconcile with Dustin Poirier. In fact, it has turned into an ongoing saga between the two.
Conor McGregor has attempted to right the wrongs of his rivalry with Dustin Poirier for a while now. The Irishman was one of the first to congratulate Dustin Poirier on having a great final fight against Max Holloway.
He took to X to pen a message to the Diamond but quickly deleted it. Fans were shocked at how nice McGregor was being to his rival. But he also couldn't resist taking one last shot at Poirier, calling him 'peahead', another gem from the build to their first fight.
We love a good scrapper in the company and them two boys are just that! Scrappers! Awesome stuff! Great fight lads, bravo! R.I.Pea head!
Conor McGregor on X following Dustin Poirier's retirementThe Irish star even attempted to repair their relationship as recently as January this year. Poirier had posted a picture carrying his newborn on Instagram. McGregor left a short yet sweet comment on it and even more surprisingly didn't bother to delete it.
Congrats bro.
Conor McGregor's comment on Dustin Poirier's postCongrats bro.
However, Dustin Poirier wasn't as willing to let bygones be bygones. Veteran MMA journalist, Ariel Helwani, asked Poirier about how he felt about the message from his former rival. The Diamond had an equally succinct response for the former double champion.
It is clear that the hatchet is far from buried between these two. However, Conor McGregor is being very proactive in his attempts to get Poirier to forgive him. So, he may eventually wear down the Diamond as he enters his retirement era. After all, it may be a cliche but time does heal all wounds.
(10 Articles Published)