Dustin Poirier claims Nate Diaz has rejected fight despite UFC green light

Poirier and Diaz agreed to a fight earlier this month with the UFC giving it the go-ahead, but Poirier has now claimed Diaz doesn’t want the welterweight clash

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Dustin Poirier has claimed Nate Diaz doesn’t want to fight him despite UFC president Dana White welcoming the clash.

Poirier agreed to fight Diaz just days was choked out by Charles Oliveira to miss out on the lightweight title and contemplated retirement

Diaz – who has one fight left on his UFC contract – targeted the promotion’s pay-per-view event on January 22 as a potential date for the fight.

But Poirier has now claimed that Diaz doesn’t want to fight in January, with UFC 271 being a new candidate to host the fight.

“He doesn’t want it,” Poirier wrote. “Maybe UFC 271 they couldn’t make it happen on 270. I said yes.”

Poirier and Diaz were booked to fight at UFC 230 in 2018, but Poirier pulled out of the fight due to a hip injury.

Diaz returned to the octagon for the first time in 18 months against Leon Edwards in May, losing a unanimous decision despite a late fight back.

The fan favourite turned down a fight with surging welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev and also played down a trilogy with Conor McGregor.

“I’m not fighting Conor until his leg grows back and he beats some people so we know he can even fight,” he wrote on Twitter.

Diaz was called out by YouTube star Jake Paul following his knockout win against former UFC champion Tyron Woodley last weekend.

He also made headlines after being involved in a scuffle with Bellator champion AJ McKee and pretending to punch a bare-knuckle boxer at the event in Miami.

Poirier – who has previously fought at featherweight – wants to move up to welterweight to fight Diaz after gruelling weight cuts to 155-pounds.

Is Dustin Poirier vs Nate Diaz the fight to make? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below

‘The Diamond’ moved up to lightweight in 2015 after being knocked out by his future rival McGregor.

He recently told The MMA Hour : “I don’t know if I wanna make that cut again, I might never fight at 155lb again. I don’t know the future,”

“I don’t know if I want to go through that kind of training camp again where I’m hungry every day, competing and pushing myself every day in the gym on low calories.

“I’d rather just do it and have fun because I love what I’m doing, making it as enjoyable as possible instead of sacrificing and hurting every day in camp.

“I’m not that big, this last camp I was 182lbs starting camp 9 weeks before the fight but the older I get it’s harder to cut weight.”