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Desperate for next booking, Poirier now open to Covington fight

Carmen Mandato / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Dustin Poirier is willing to do whatever it takes to get back in the Octagon - and that includes agreeing to a matchup with Colby Covington.

The UFC lightweight contender said Monday the promotion recently offered him a welterweight bout against Covington in July and that he's open to taking it.

"It was either wait until the end of the year and fight for a No. 1 contender at lightweight, or fight July against him - and that was the name that they gave me," Poirier told "The MMA Hour" on Monday. "So I'm like, 'F--- it.'"

Poirier said he has yet to formally accept or decline the offer.

Poirier and Covington used to be teammates at American Top Team in Florida but have since become enemies, similarly to Covington and welterweight star Jorge Masvidal. Covington left the gym in 2020.

In February, Poirier said he would never fight Covington in the UFC. He didn't want Covington - one of his most disliked fighters, Poirier said Monday - to profit off of him. At the time, Poirier was targeting a fight with Nate Diaz.

But this past weekend, Poirier surprisingly hinted that he was now open to the Covington matchup, writing "I accept" in a tweet that had his rival tagged. Poirier was referring to a potential bout at UFC 277 on July 30.

"The Diamond" said he remains uninterested in a clash with Covington but is ultimately willing to fight him if that's his only option between now and the end of 2022.

"I'm kind of pissed off at myself for saying I would do it," Poirier said. "Not that I'm worried about the guy or his skill set or anything like that. It's just I don't want the guy to prosper because I said yes to a fight with him. I don't want that. I don't want him to make a dollar off of anything that I've done or off of fighting me, period."

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