Conor McGregor’s former rival says he’ll end retirement to fight UFC star

One of Conor McGregor’s former opponents has vowed to come out of retirement to fight the Irishman.

Former two-weight UFC champion McGregor has not fought since losing to Dustin Poirier for a second time on the UFC 264 card in Las Vegas back in 2021.

The Irishman suffered a broken leg, which required surgery following the clash. It was the pair’s third fight in the UFC, with McGregor winning their 2014 bout by first-round TKO. Poirier won the rematch by second-round TKO at UFC 257 in January 2021.

Since then, 'Notorious' has had to deal with issues in his personal life, including being found liable for the assault of Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, following a civil case heard at the High Court in Dublin in November 2024.

Hand was awarded €248,000 (£206,000) in damages, and McGregor lost his civil jury appeal.

In the months before the trial, McGregor was set to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but the bout was cancelled after the Dubliner sustained a toe injury.

But at long last, McGregor will finally return in a rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in July.

The duo previously fought in Boston in 2013, with McGregor winning by unanimous decision.

UFC icon teases McGregor showdown

While McGregor’s future depends on how he fares next time out, Poirier, who retired in July 2025 after his own trilogy fight against Holloway at UFC 318, has teased a potential fourth fight against the Irishman.

Speaking on the 'Weighing In' podcast, the American said: “If it was realistic and they called me and said, ‘Hey,’ I would probably get back in the drug-testing protocol and get licensed again, yeah.”

He then backed McGregor to look better than former UFC star Nate Diaz, who flattered to deceive in his MMA bout against Mike Perry earlier this month.

“Yeah, I don't think Conor's going to look as bad as Nate. That was really bad,” Poirier added. “I think the punching power is going to be there regardless. Conor's going to come back from the injury and still have that natural punching power. The question for me is the timing, the athleticism, the movement — all those questions need to be answered. I don't know. We haven't seen him, so I don't know.

“If his counter-punching and his timing are anywhere near what they were, he has a chance to beat Max. Look, I love Max, but with the career he's had and the longevity he's had, he's touched the canvas in his last three fights. That's more than he's touched it in his entire career. I just think time's catching up with him. He's still a young man, but he's taken a lot of shots, and Conor can punch. No matter how long he's been out, he still has the great equalizer, and that's power. Some guys are born with it.”