Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz have a history in the UFC, having almost fought multiple times over the years. For various reasons, they never ended up stepping into the cage together. That doesn’t mean Poirier has any ill will directed towards the Diaz brother, who recently left the UFC to set up a boxing match with Jake Paul in August.
“Look, I want everybody to be paid and to succeed,” Poirier said on The MMA Hour when asked about the bout. “Whether it’s in this organization or that, I don’t care, we’re putting it all on the line out there. So I hope he got whatever he was looking for. I hope it all works out and I hope he gets paid.”
Diaz has been talking about a return to the UFC after he tests the waters in boxing, but “The Diamond” isn’t holding his breath.
“I always wanted to fight him,” he said simply when asked if he thought they’d eventually scrap. “Never say never, but it looks like … it’s gone.”
Poirier has his own things going on: the 34-year-old is set to fight Justin Gaethje for the BMF belt at UFC 291 on July 29th. While it’s a bit of a corny gimmick to put a belt on the line at the UFC’s Salt Lake City event, it does mean both men get pay-per-view points, turning their regular paydays into champion-level money.
Nate Diaz is set to get paid when he fights Jake Paul on August 5th. Word is there’s a 50/50 split on the event with Paul’s MVP Promotions teaming with Diaz’s Real Fight, Inc. With all the interest in the bout, Nate is looking at making more in one night than he did across his entire UFC career, Conor McGregor fights included.
He’s in for a fight, though, as Jake Paul is 30 pounds heavier and 12 years younger. As much as Dustin Poirier clearly respects Diaz, he admitted he’s leaning towards Paul winning.
“I’ll definitely watch for sure,” he said. “Jake’s younger, bigger, faster. It’s not an easy fight just because Nate’s a grizzled veteran with the right experience and Jake’s a new guy who’s on YouTube. He’s got the money and the amenities to surround himself with the best people and dedicate himself to fighting. He’s younger and more explosive and I think Diaz’s boxing is good for MMA, [but] it’s a completely different thing. It’s a completely different thing.”
Who knows, you might even see “The Diamond” in the stands with the flashy BMF belt thrown over his shoulder.
“I kind of want to go to the event. It’s in Dallas, I’m a six hour drive from Dallas where I live in Louisiana.”
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
