Dustin Poirier‘s animosity towards Michael Chandler persists nearly two years after their UFC 281 fight, with recent social media exchanges exacerbating tensions as Chandler awaits a potential but uncertain fight with Conor McGregor.
Dustin Poirier still hasn’t squashed his beef with Michael Chandler.
In 2022, Poirier choked out Chandler in the featured fight of UFC 281. Following his win, Poirier ripped into Chandler for being “a dirty motherf*cker” who committed multiple fouls during the fight, including accusing him of fish-hooking. Nearly two years since, that animosity still lingers.
Last week, Poirier hopped on social media to tease one final fight and fired tweets at possible opponents like Islam Makhachev and Conor McGregor. Chandler was quick to respond, telling Poirier to retire, which really bothered “The Diamond.”
“No thanks” – retire man…we good.
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) July 2, 2024
“Who the fck is ‘we?!’” Poirier said Wednesday on The MMA Hour*. “You just got here, buddy. You’re not one of us. You’re not ‘we.’ I’ve been here. ‘We’re good.’ Who’s we? Welcome to the UFC, dude. You’ve got one win in the UFC."
“He’s not one of us,” Poirier continued. “I’ve been cutting my teeth in the UFC since January of 2011, 2010. He just got here. Who is we? He’s speaking for the lightweight division? Muscle Milk Mike needs to chill.”
Chandler’s response to Poirier comes as the former Bellator lightweight champion is stuck in limbo. Theoretically, Chandler is supposed to fight McGregor after the two served as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. But McGregor pulled out of their scheduled fight at UFC 303 with a toe injury.
This means Chandler has now been waiting for nearly two years for a fight that may never come. And while Poirier may have his issues with Chandler, he does at least understand the difficult position he’s in.
“He’s risking the chance of losing the fight if it ever materializes,” Poirier said. “But if he goes in there and loses to someone else, do they give him that Conor shot again? If he takes another fight does Conor move on and take a different fight as well?"
“The payoff of beating Conor McGregor, financially and just for your career, is worth the wait,” added Poirier. “But if you never get it, you’re wasting a lot of years and you’re not a young man. These years are very important."
“I don’t know how he is,” admitted Poirier. “I’m sure he’s got intelligent people around him helping him with his deals. I don’t know how his contract is structured but if it does happen and he did the right thing on the backend…he’s going to be paid and set his family up."
“But if it doesn’t,” warned Poirier, "you’re wasting a lot of years and in this game we get old quick." He added: "You leave for two years — and I don’t know how old he is…36? 37? You leave for two years and come back; you could look like a different person."
Poirier had a memorable trilogy with McGregor—the final fight being when McGregor shattered his leg at UFC 264.
Those wins helped elevate “The Diamond” to one of the biggest stars in the UFC and set his family up for life financially.
But looking back on things…Poirier says he wouldn’t have stuck around as long as Chandler has for this fight.
“I don’t think so," said Poirier candidly. "Not two years.” He reflected: "I’d have to be in that position…it’s tough to say [how long I’d have waited]. After fighting him the second time in Abu Dhabi…the way my contract was structured…probably — probably a year.”
Poirier most recently competed at UFC 302 but lost his lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev.
Following that bout…Poirier hinted at retirement but appears undecided at this moment.