‘I am grateful to return and do what I love again’: Conor McGregor CONFIRMS UFC comeback against Dustin Poirer and vows to ‘showcase my deep cache of weaponry’ in long-awaited rematch on January 23
- Conor McGregor says he is ‘grateful’ to return to UFC against Dustin Poirer
- Notorious vowed to show off his ‘weaponry’ in the rematch slated for January 23
- He is excited for the ‘fresh test’ Poirer will bring after beating him in 2014
Conor McGregor has confirmed his return to the Octagon against Dustin Poirer, admitting he is excited to ‘do what I love again’.
‘Notorious’ appeared to have walked away from UFC when he announced his retirement in June, but has since teased a dramatic comeback on social media and has been in talks for a rematch against ‘The Diamond’ over the last month, with a fight date slated for January 23.
After lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov hung up his gloves, McGregor has been tipped to dominate the division and reclaim the titles he lost to the Russian star, and now he has revealed he is ‘grateful’ to return – vowing to show off his ‘weaponry’ against Poirer.
Conor McGregor has confirmed his long awaited return to UFC against old rival Dustin Poirer
He posted a picture from before their first bout in 2014 ahead of their January 23 rematch
‘I am very grateful to be about to return and get to do what I love again,’ he said in a statement on Instagram.
‘I look forward to the fresh test Dustin will bring since our first bout, while also showcasing my own incredibly deep cache of weaponry. Whatever tool is needed on the night will be pulled from the duffel.
McGregor also shared a picture of the pair before their last bout at UFC 178 in 2014, which the Irishman won thanks to a first round knockout. ‘The first time I came face to face with Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier. Las Vegas Nevada, August 2014,’ he said.
The Irishman vowed to show off his ‘weaponry’ after announcing his comeback in the sport
The duo have already faced each other once, when McGregor took just two minutes to defeat Poirier in September 2014 at UFC 178
He reflected on his memories of the build up to the fight as well as signing a lucrative new deal with the UFC.
‘I was only beginning to blow up and this was a big one!’ He added.
‘This same day I also signed a new contract with the UFC, under Lorenzo Fertitta. Lorenzo brought me into his office, myself and my manager Audie Attar, and placed a contract down in front of me with numbers I’d never seen before in my life! I looked over at Audie like, “you won’t be needed on this one mate”
Discussions over a rematch between McGregor (R) and Poirer (L) have been ongoing for a month with Dana White initially failing to agree terms with the American
‘We both knew but play it cool we are still in the office hahaha! Wild! The first of our dealings together on some of the largest purse contracts in the history of combat fighting. Incredible!’
Negotiations between Poirer and McGregor nearly hit a wall due to the financial demands of the former, with UFC president Dana White reportedly weighing up a replacement after failing to agree terms.
As discussions continued to drag on, Poirer wrote on Twitter: ‘Me @TheNotoriousMMA is the fight January 23rd. Let’s make it official! @ufc @danawhite send me the right contract. Stop playing games!’
