Getty Conor McGregor poses after a news conference with lightweight contender Nate Diaz at UFC Gym February 24, 2016, in Torrance, California.
According to No. 2 ranked UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier, a charity exhibition bout with No. 5 ranked Conor McGregor is “very real.” Last week, “Notorious” issued a challenge on Twitter to Poirier, a charity exhibition fight that would not be associated with the UFC.
McGregor said publicly that he plans to promote the charity with his company, McGregor Sports and Entertainment MMA, and that it would take place on December 12 in Dublin, Ireland.
“Hey bro! You want to do an MMA charity fight?” McGregor tweeted to “The Diamond” on September 28. “Zero to do with the ufc. I will donate half a mill towards your charity for it. Sell it on ppv or work a tv deal and we work out other charities that are close to my heart also. I am engaged in many. Strictly a charity ‘exhibition.’”
McGregor continued, “December 12th in the Point depot, Ireland. No weigh ins. Open weight, unified rules. I will arrange all travel fare for you and family. McGregor Sports and Entertainment MMA, in association with The Good Fight Foundation. Charity Mixed Martial Arts!”
Poirier responded to Notorious, writing, “I’m in! Lets do it! A lot of people will benefit from this [Good Fight Foundation].”
A Week Later, the Exhibition Match Is ‘Very Real,’ According to Poirier
As The Diamond and McGregor are both contracted to the UFC, it is unclear if they actually have the ability to compete in a charity exhibition match without the promotion’s blessing. However, Poirier is seemingly taking the fight in stride.
On Monday, ESPN’s Marc Raimondi posed a question on his Twitter page asking his followers if the exhibition bout between Poirier and McGregor was real or not and Poirier replied, “Very Real.”
On the other end, Notorious seems to be treating the match between him and The Diamond real as well. On September 30, McGregor shared a fight poster for the potential December 12 event featuring himself and Poirier. See the poster below:
Martial art sparring match in aid of charity. Dublin, December 12th 2020.
Free to air spar. McGregor vs Poirier.
List of chosen charities available soon. All donations welcome ❤️
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A Fight in the UFC Between Poirier & McGregor Could Determine the Next Title Challenger
Fans have anticipated a rematch between McGregor and Poirier for years. The two fighters competed against each other in September 2014 when they fought in the featherweight division, and Notorious won the match by first-round TKO.
Six years later, both fighters have found great success inside the Octagon, with McGregor earning both the lightweight and featherweight UFC championships and The Diamond winning the interim lightweight title.
Although both fighters have lost their championships, Poirier is currently ranked No. 2 in the lightweight division and Notorious is at No. 5. And if they competed against each other again in the UFC, the victor could become the next title contender to compete against the winner of the UFC 254 lightweight title match between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champion Justin Gaethje.
UFC president Dana White revealed last week that the promotion has offered the bout to Poirier and McGregor, however Notorious is seemingly set on competing against The Diamond in a charity exhibition fight outside of the Octagon.
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