Dustin Poirier responds to Colby Covington’s ‘cute’ callout: ‘You’ve got to fight welterweight contenders’

Dustin Poirier knows exactly what he wants next, and it’s not a showdown against ex-teammate Colby Covington.

The former interim UFC lightweight champion and two-time title challenger definitely heard Covington mention his name following a unanimous decision win over Jorge Masvidal in UFC 272’s main event, but he doesn’t seem all that interested in actually pursuing the fight.

“It’s cute,” Poirier said about the callout on the UFC Vegas 50 post-fight show. “It’s all good. It is what it is. People want big fights. That’s a big fight. He wants a big fight. Obviously, he’s not in line for the title fight. He lost twice to the champ so he probably needs a few more wins, but I would think if you want to get back to that strap, you’ve got to fight welterweight contenders.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, if I’m going to welterweight, if I’m staying at [155 pounds], we’ll see. It is what it is.”

Of course, Covington didn’t just call for the fight — he also took time to insult Poirier’s wife and daughter along the way.

Poirier didn’t address those comments specifically, but he obviously isn’t a fan of the kind of trash talk that has earned Covington so much attention during his rise to the top of the welterweight ranks.

“It’s working for him,” Poirier said. “He’s got people talking. You’re asking me about him. But it’s just not my style. That’s what I dislike about the sport nowadays.”

With little interest in pursuing a fight with Covington, Poirier instead still has his sights set on a future showdown against Nate Diaz after they’ve continued to exchange messages on social media over the past few months.

Both athletes have made it clear that they are ready to sign on the dotted line, although the UFC has been hesitant to actually book the matchup with Diaz approaching the final bout on his current contract with the promotion.

Still, Poirier is confident that the UFC will eventually come around and give him the fight that he truly desires.

“Nate Diaz is a fight I want,” Poirier said. “I’ve been watching him and his brother forever so it’s exciting for me. The matchup would be fun for the fans. That’s more likely than the Colby fight. This summer, I think it’s going to happen.”

As far as his future weight class, Poirier is still undecided after hinting that he might be done at 155 pounds following a loss to Charles Oliveira in his last outing.

That said, Poirier isn’t opposed to sticking around at lightweight, but he also recognizes that will require a lot more effort versus his potential happiness in a training camp for a fight at 170 pounds.

“I can still make 155, it’s just how I want to spend my days,” Poirier explained. “Like, if I want to be in camp dieting hardcore, or maybe living a little bit more of a fun camp where I can eat and feel like I can heal up and just have fun training, not hating the diet.

“We’ll see. I’m not making any huge decisions right now. Just kind of playing the options I have.”