Getty Conor McGregor & Dustin Poirier
UFC lightweight star Dustin Poirier has been hospitalized due to a staph infection, and rival Conor McGregor chimed in about his rival’s battle via Twitter, which led to a back-and-forth between the fighters.
Poirier alarmed fans on December 5 when he shared an Instagram Story that read: “Going on day 2 in the hospital, s**** getting serious.” ESPN’s Brett Okamoto then tweeted that he spoke with “The Diamond” about what was going on, and the fighter revealed that he had staph and his body wasn’t “responding” to prescribed antibiotics.
“Some context on Dustin Poirier’s (@DustinPoirier) IG posts about being hospitalized … told me it’s staph, but he’s not responding to antibiotics over the last 24 hours,” Okamoto wrote. “Undergoing further blood work now, hopefully get some answers today.”
Well, McGregor, Poirier’s three-time UFC opponent, responded to Okamoto’s tweet, writing: “Heal up soon scruffy knickers.”
The Irishman’s tweet elicited a response from the hospitalized Poirier. He asked McGregor if he was finished filming “Road House,” a remake of the 1989 classic starring Patrick Swayze, and was ready to fight again. Notorious was a part of the project alongside Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal. But Poirier called it “Roid House,” taking a jab at McGregor being outside of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool.
“You done filming Roid House and ready to get slapped around again!?” Poirier tweeted to McGregor.
McGregor Promised to ‘Send’ Poirier ‘Off This Earth’
Poirier is 2-1 against McGregor, which included back-to-back defeats over the Irishman last year. They fought in a trilogy match at UFC 264 in July 2021 and McGregor broke his leg during the first round. Notorious hasn’t competed since then. But in McGregor’s response to Poirier’s tweet, he made it clear he intended to meet The Diamond inside the Octagon for a fourth time.
“Ye I’m in Amsterdam jacked like van damn,” McGregor tweeted. “You weren’t just hurt pal. You were scared hurt don’t forget it. I’m coming back to put you in a box. Full of it. I’m sending you off this earth. Permanent. Stay waiting for the road house as well pal you and the missus will love it.”
McGregor is currently not enrolled in the USADA testing pool, meaning he is not subjected to random drug testing. UFC athletes must remain in the pool to be eligible to fight, and should they take themselves out of it, they must rejoin the program for six consecutive months before fighting again. However, it’s unclear if Notorious will receive an exemption.
That’s what his recent tweet suggested, anyway.
“I am clear for testing in February,” McGregor tweeted on November 23. “I will complete my two tests per USADA and we are booking a fight.”
Poirier Recently Picked Up a ‘Fight of the Night’ Victory Over Michael Chandler
The Diamond recently competed in one of the most electric fights of 2022. He drew Michael Chandler at UFC 281 on November 12 and the two lightweights competed in a blood-and-guts three-round affair until The Diamond caught the former Bellator 155-pound champion in a rear-naked choke, forcing the tap.
It was The Diamond’s first fight back since his title-losing effort against Charles Oliveira in December 2021 at UFC 269. Poirier currently sits as the No. 2-ranked lightweight, whereas McGregor is at No. 14.
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Conor McGregor Reacts to UFC Rival Dustin Poirier’s ‘Serious’ Hospitalization