The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is one of the most iconic and personal feuds in UFC history. What began as a heated featherweight showdown in 2014 quickly evolved into a grudge match filled with psychological warfare, brutal knockouts, and emotional backstories. From verbal jabs to vicious finishes inside the Octagon, their trilogy defined an era of lightweight chaos.

But this was more than just a sports rivalry. It became a saga marked by redemption, controversy, and personal attacks. Both of them evolved in skill and stature. And with that, their animosity also went on the rise. However, with McGregor now sidelined and Poirier nearing his retirement fight, let’s see if this saga is reaching its final chapter.

Genesis of the feud between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier: UFC 178 – 2014

Conor McGregor brought in psychological warfare techniques while building up the tension ahead of UFC 178. He claimed that Poirier’s chin was deteriorating. Taunting his opponent, McGregor attacked Poirier’s durability as a featherweight contender and said, “Every single contest he gets in, he hits one knee. A gust of wind and he does the chicken dance.”

‘The Notorious’ succeeded in getting to his opponent’s head. Poirier’s rage was clearly visible when the duo faced each other for the first time inside the cage. McGregor taunted ‘The Diamond’ and in turn, received a smack over his extended hand. The fight began without a touch of gloves. Within two minutes of the fight, the Irishman threw a three-punch combo that dropped Poirier on all fours. He continued to throw hammer fists till Herb Dean rushed in and declared McGregor the victor by KO in just 1:46.

Following the bout, ‘The Diamond’ opened up on the pre-fight drama in a talk with FloCombat. He revealed that he was emotionally invested in the fight. He’d get angry and intended to really hurt McGregor. That was how he always fought, but UFC 178 came as a turning point. Poirier said, “I remember I was backstage getting ready to walk out and I saw him and he threw this smile and pointed at me. I don’t know why but it really got to me, man. It really messed with my head. I mean, I’m about to go out and fight this dude, and he’s back there smiling at me? After that fight, I knew I had to find a different way to use my emotion.” After that, Poirier moved to the lightweight division and won two back-to-back fights with first-round KOs.

On the other hand, McGregor, through the UFC 178 post-fight show, revealed that he had no bad blood with Poirier. According to him, it was nothing more than business. And having Poirier dislike him was pretty weird for him. He said, “For me to hate on the man that’s chasing the same dream as me – I can’t do it! I have no emotion, good or bad. So for me that he was hating me so much, that was weird to me. I don’t hate the guy… I spoke what I believed was fact, everything I said I believed was fact and I still do.” But the story wasn’t complete with just one fight. The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier reignited at UFC 257 and UFC 264. 

Rivalry rekindled: UFC 257 & UFC 264 – 2021

The duo fought two more times in 2021. Learning from his mistakes, ‘The Diamond’ showcased a drastically evolved and mature fighting style. He didn’t charge emotionally and was pretty calm, calculated, and focused. And that pushed him to secure a second-round TKO win over the Irishman. Poirier hurt ‘The Notorious’ with his calf kicks, and with McGregor’s leg compromised, getting a win was easy. Despite entering the bout as a +275 underdog, the Lafayette resident became the first man to knock McGregor out in the UFC.

Following the battle, he weighed in on the changes he brought in his attitude toward McGregor’s pre-fight antics. He said, “I felt his presence less, his aura less. I just saw another fighter tonight. I think the first time, I was kind of a deer in the headlights, you could say. This time, I was just fighting another man — another man who bleeds just like me. And I knew that.” 

However, ‘Mystic Mac’ wasn’t satisfied. He wanted an immediate rematch, and the duo battled for the third time at UFC 264. At the weigh-in, during the face-off, Conor McGregor kicked Dustin Poirier in the leg, further igniting their rivalry. But it was the fight that put the Dubliner out of action for four years. McGregor appeared to control early exchanges, but suffered a catastrophic broken leg in the first round. With McGregor unable to continue, Poirier was awarded a TKO via doctor’s stoppage, clinching the series 2–1.

And this time, Poirier decided to mock the Irish fighter. He copied McGregor’s infamous billionaire strut, while the Dubliner sat on the canvas with braces around his leg. But things worsened when Poirier’s wife, Jolie Poirier, flipped McGregor off. This extracted a furious rant from the former UFC double champion. But the Irishman had already made some derogatory comments about the couple.

The controversy: McGregor’s comments about Poirier’s wife

Following the second battle, McGregor donated $500K to Poirier’s foundation to build a gym. And Poirier’s wife thanked the Irishman for the generosity backstage after UFC 257. McGregor congratulated her on her husband’s win, as Jolie thanked him for the donation. But things quickly fell apart. Building up the bad blood before UFC 264, McGregor took to social media and claimed that Jolie Poirier was already messaging him privately. He used the captions, “#SheLyinToYouBro #ThatsWifey #ProperIrishAnimal.”

But the American didn’t really pay much attention to it all. “If it was real and my wife was messaging him or something like that then it’s a good move,” ‘The Diamond’ said. “But if it’s fabricated or… so you know, me and my wife were laughing about it yesterday when I was at the grocery store.”

The taunts continued after the fight as McGregor reiterated that Jolie tried to message him, while Poirier was en route to the locker room. He even jeered, “Hit me back up, I’ll chat to you later on, I’ll be at the after party at the Wynn night club.” According to the Irishman, the rivalry between him and Poirier was far from over. But dragging Jolie Poirier into the rivalry was something that even Dana White didn’t appreciate.

In the aftermath of the trilogy, the UFC head honcho said, “I don’t like that. That’s not good. Leave people’s families and wives and all that stuff out of it. Family has nothing to do with it.” He did seem confident about a fourth match between the two. But now, the situation is a bit different. Poirier is all set to fight his final UFC battle against Max Holloway at UFC 318. And McGregor is yet to return for a fight.