Dustin Poirier willing to fight Colby Covington

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier is willing to move up in weight to fight his former teammate and ex-UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Poirier revealed that he was offered to fight Covington, who has repeatedly called him out in the past using foul language and insults directed toward his family.

“I don’t hate anyone, but if there was a line right before hate, Colby’s standing right there. I really dislike the guy, and I’ve been saying I don’t want him to make a dollar off of fighting me, but they offered me him last week,” Poirier said.

“It was either wait to the end of the year and fight for a no. 1 contender at lightweight, or fight in July, and that was the name that they gave me. So I was like, f— it.”

Poirier, 28-7 as a professional mixed martial artist, last saw action in December against Charles Oliveira where he lost by way of submission in round three. Covington, meanwhile, defeated his former best friend Jorge Masvidal last march via unanimous decision then dared Poirier to a fight.

“He’s everything I dislike about mixed martial arts. He’s a cartoon character. Everything he does if for any extra click, view, none of it is authentic,” Poirier stressed.

“He can wrestle, he’s tough. I’ve been around him for years. I know him from being in the gym with him since 2012, 2013-ish, but he’s just a fake, a phony.”

—JMB, GMA News