Covington pushes for Poirier fight, wants to settle 'deep personal issues'

Colby Covington hopes to find himself locked in the cage with Dustin Poirier down the road.

The former UFC interim welterweight champion used to be longtime teammates with Poirier at American Top Team until Covington left the gym in 2020. They haven't had many good things to say about each other in recent years, and now Covington wants to settle his "deep, deep, deep personal issues" with Poirier.

"His best money opportunity if he wants to do good business is to come up to 170 (pounds) and see daddy," Covington told Fanatics View's James Lynch on Sunday. "This is a personal rivalry. This isn't like I'm trying to pick on someone and there's no narrative to the fight."

Poirier is expected to challenge Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title in his next bout, but Covington thinks a matchup against himself would be far more lucrative because "nobody really even knows who (Oliveira) is in Brazil."

Poirier earned a second consecutive victory against Conor McGregor at UFC 264 last weekend, winning by doctor's stoppage after the Irishman broke his leg late in the first round.

Covington said Poirier's supposed reaction to the McGregor win "showed his true colors."

"Obviously it was a fluke, man," Covington said. "Conor broke his leg ... And (Poirier's) out there strutting in front of the guy's face at a downfall when that guy made his career and did everything for Dustin to give him this big fight."