Dustin Poirier isn’t worried about Nate Diaz not showing up at UFC 230

Late last week, it was announced that fan favorite lightweight contender Nate Diaz will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon opposite top contender Dustin Poirier. The pair are expected to collide in the co-main event of UFC 230 on November 3 in New York City.

Shortly thereafter, the UFC held a massive press conference featuring all the stars of their upcoming shows — including Diaz and Poirier. The promotion also took this opportunity to announce a highly anticipated lightweight title fight between champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and challenger Conor McGregor. This news cast a massive shadow over everybody else at the press conference — including Diaz.

Diaz, who has been the biggest rival of McGregor’s career, didn’t appreciate this turn of events. The Stockton, California native promptly stormed off the stage and later Tweeted that he would not be fighting Poirier after all.

All the same, Poirier is not worried. He’s confident Diaz will show up on fight night.

”I don’t believe the fight’s in jeopardy, no,” Poirier said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show (transcript via MMAMania). “I would have heard something. I have the bout agreement in my inbox, I’m about to sign it and send it off, so everything is moving forward like it was supposed to after the press conference. I think he was just upset with coming out to a press conference and then them advertising another fight, talking about Conor like he was there, when the guy’s not even present. I think he just felt disrespected.”

”So long as he shows up November 3rd, you know? I’m not sure if he’s signed a contract yet, but he’s a guy that follows through. I don’t think him or his brother have ever pulled out of a fight with an injury or not shown up when they said they’d show up. What happens between fights and in the build up of fights is another thing, but when he signs a contract and commits to a date, he’s always shown up.”

Do you think Nate Diaz will show up to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 230?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/7/2018.