Dustin Poirier reveals he accepted hours’ notice fight vs. Nate Diaz after Khamzat Chimaev weight controversy at UFC 279

Dustin Poirier nearly stepped up on hours’ notice to face Nate Diaz at UFC 279 after Khamzat Chimaev missed weight.

Poirier lost to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in his most recent fight at UFC 302 last month. He lost by fifth-round submission and teased retirement, although he’s since teased one final appearance in the Octagon.

Diaz, who parted ways with the UFC in 2022, was slated to face Chimaev in a welterweight main event at UFC 279. The fight fell through at the official weigh-ins after Chimaev missed weight (178.5lbs).

Diaz went on to face Tony Ferguson in the main event, defeating him by fourth-round submission. Chimaev beat Kevin Holland in the UFC 279 co-headliner.

Poirier, who has long targeted a matchup with Diaz, nearly pulled a Dan Ige and was prepared to save UFC 279.

Dustin Poirier tells wild story about Nate Diaz and UFC 279

In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Poirier explained how the fight with Diaz nearly happened after Chimaev’s weight miss.

“I accepted a fight against him on 24 hours’ notice, I was gonna fly to Las Vegas and weigh in on the same day, the night of the Khamzat [Chimaev] stuff,” Poirier explained. “It’s a crazy story the way it worked. [Coach] Mike Brown flew in on Thursday to Louisiana, just to come visit. We went to dinner and went to sleep. Friday morning, a bunch of missed calls and texts…my management, Hunter [Campbell], everybody from the UFC reaching out ‘Hey, he’s not going to make weight. Can you make 170?’…I had to do a Zoom call, I have an Android so I had to use my wife’s phone…

“I’m Facetiming with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, stepping on the scale so I can show them I could make weight safely. I’m like 176, I was gonna be 170 the same day. I was gonna fly out the next day…they somehow switched it up. He fought Tony [Ferguson], and then [Kevin Holland] fought Khamzat at a different weight. They switched it around, but I was in and I was gonna go.”

Poirier has expressed interest in facing Diaz if the Stockton star returns to the UFC. Diaz defeated Poirier’s teammate, Jorge Masvidal, in a boxing match last weekend.

Poirier is one of the greatest fighters of all time and has proven himself as an ‘Any time, any place’ athlete. He and Diaz nearly broke the internet at UFC 279 before the promotion went in another direction.