UFC Star Will Begrudgingly Accept July Fight Against Colby Covington

Getty Colby Covington

Although UFC star Dustin Poirier doesn’t want Colby Covington to “profit anything off of” him, he’ll accept a summer fight with “Chaos.”

Poirier hasn’t fought since his lightweight title bid at UFC 269 in December against Charles Oliveira. “The Diamond” didn’t leave the Octagon as champion as he suffered a rear-naked choke defeat at the hands of the former champion.

Poirier is chomping at the bit to get back to work on July 30, and according to the 155 pounder, the promotion has offered Covington up as an opponent.

The Diamond said on Monday’s episode of “The MMA Hour” that either he sits out until the end of the year to compete for a lightweight top-contender spot, or he fights at July’s UFC 277. And apparently the UFC wants Poirier’s summer clash to be against Covington.

Poirier and Covington are former teammates turned bitter rivals, and after Chaos’ win over Jorge Masvidal in March at UFC 272, he called out The Diamond.

Poirier Says He Doesn’t Want to Compete Against Chaos, But Will to Stay Active

The only reason Poirier is entertaining fighting Covington is because he doesn’t want to be shelved for another six months. He’d gladly take another fight that makes sense, he told Ariel Helwani on “The MMA Hour,” but as of right now, the UFC wants him to fight Chaos.

Poirier shared his thoughts on fighting Covington (via MMA Fighting):

“I don’t hate anyone, but if there was a line right before hate, Colby’s standing right there,” Poirier said. “I really dislike the guy, and I’ve been saying I don’t want him to make a dollar off of fighting me, but they offered me him last week… It was either wait to the end of the year and fight for a No. 1 contender at lightweight, or fight in July, and that was the name that they gave me. So I was like, ‘F*** it.’

“So that’s not a call out of him. I’m not going out of my way. I don’t want to fight the guy. I don’t want him profiting anything off of me, but if they’re not giving me a fight until the end of the year and this is what they’re giving me, I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. I fought in December. I don’t want to sit in a holding pattern for 10-11 months. I’m healthy and I want to fight.”

Poirier Doesn’t See Himself Taking Damage From Covington

Poirier said he’s “pissed off” at himself for telling the promotion that he’ll square up with Chaos. But, if they do meet inside the Octagon, The Diamond doesn’t expect to “take any damage.”

“I’m kind of pissed off at myself for saying I’d do it,” The Diamond continued. “Not that I’m worried about the guy or his skill set or anything like that, it’s that I don’t want the f****** guy to prosper because I said yes to a fight with him. I don’t want him to make a dollar off of anything that I’ve done or off of fighting me, period. But you get a glass of whiskey in you, they call you a couple days before, s*** happens and then you fight. So f*** it.

“At least, if it does happen, it’s not a fight where I’m going to take any damage. This f****** guy.”