Dustin Poirier would consider competing again only for a bout with Nate Diaz

Dustin Poirier insists his fighting days are behind him. The former UFC interim lightweight champion officially retired in July after a tough loss to Max Holloway in front of his home crowd in Louisiana. At 36, he sounded ready to move on for good.But this week, Poirier gave fans a twist. Posting on X, he said there’s just one fight that could bring him back, and it wouldn’t be in the Octagon. It would be a boxing match against longtime rival Nate Diaz.“Zuffa Boxing, 12 rounds, me and Nathaniel, I’d do it,” Poirier wrote. “Only one more fight I’d take.”The message instantly brought back memories of their cancelled 2018 showdown. The two were booked to fight at Madison Square Garden that November, but the matchup collapsed before it ever happened. Poirier pointed the finger at Diaz’s drawn-out contract talks, while Diaz claimed Poirier pulled out because of a nagging hip injury. Diaz even went as far as saying Poirier’s withdrawal counted as a win for him.Seven years later, Poirier seems eager to finally settle the score. Diaz, now 40, left the UFC in 2022 to explore opportunities outside MMA. He lost his professional boxing debut to Jake Paul in 2023. However, he bounced back with a win over Jorge Masvidal last year. He’s hinted at a possible UFC return but hasn’t commented on Poirier’s callout just yet.Also Read: Nate Diaz challenges Terence Crawford to a boxing clash after Crawford's shocking win over Canelo Alvarez in VegasFor Poirier, this isn’t about chasing titles or making a comeback run. It’s about closure. “I’m retired, I’m done,” he wrote, “but Nate is one that got away.”The timing of his post was no accident. It came the same day Zuffa Boxing, Dana White’s new promotion, announced a major U.S. broadcasting deal with Paramount+ and CBS. A Poirier vs. Diaz fight would be the kind of blockbuster headliner that could give the brand an explosive start.Nothing is confirmed, and the ball is now in Diaz’s court. But if he accepts, fans might finally get to see a rivalry that’s been brewing since 2018, not inside the UFC cage, but under the ropes of a boxing ring.