Dana White confirms that Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 3 will not be for the UFC belt

Earlier this month, MMA pundits were speculating if the UFC lightweight title would be up for grabs in the trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

As per UFC President Dana White, if Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier face each other for a third time, the lightweight strap will not be on the line. In a recent interview with Brett Okamoto, White mentioned that the undisputed champion will be decided by holding a tournament of sorts.

It is unclear if the champion, Khabib Nnurmagomedov, will reconsider his retirement plans. The Eagle has finished his last three title defenses in dominant fashion. Dana White pointed to this fact and revealed that the top seven lightweights will be competing for the belt if Nurmagomedov stays retired.

"If you look at the number one ranked guy in the world - Dustin Poirier - all the way down to number 7 (Rafael Dos Anjos), the fights that can be made to find out who becomes the next champion are unbelievable.

We are in for some incredible fights to find out which two of these guys from one to seven will square off to become the next world champion. When you have two guys who want it that badly, you'd do it. These guys are all gonna fight it out and we will narrow it down to the two guys who will face off for the title", said Dana White

Will Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor square off against each other again in 2021?

UFC 257 was Dustin Poirier's shot at redemption for his loss against Conor McGregor at UFC 178. The Diamond avenged his loss with a spectacular knockout victory and handed the Irishman his first TKO loss in MMA. The two combatants are now 1-1 against each other.

It seems that a trilogy bout is inevitable considering the agreement both fighters made after the fight ended. After their rematch, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier embraced each other backstage and shook on the proposition for a trilogy fight.

"We'll do it again!"All respect between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier after #UFC257.You can see the damage those leg kicks did 😳 pic.twitter.com/6m9SJeCpkg

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) January 24, 2021

Judging by Conor McGregor's promise to fight again in 2021, it looks like fans can expect the trilogy bout to take place this year. Conor McGregor took to his Instagram to note that he will keep his courteous persona at bay for future bouts.

Check out here: Dustin Poirier's Career Earnings