Dustin Poirier gives Conor McGregor unexpected reality check about UFC return, shares what he'd have done in his former rival's shoes

Dustin Poirier recently shared his thoughts on Conor McGregor potentially making a UFC return. Despite their fierce rivalry, the Louisiana native had high hopes for McGregor and believed that the Irishman was capable of overcoming any and all hurdles on his way to returning to action.

McGregor hasn't stepped inside the octagon since his unfortunate first-round knockout loss against Poirier in their trilogy fight at UFC 264 in July 2021, where he suffered a nasty leg fracture. While the Irishman was booked for a highly anticipated comeback fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, an injured toe forced him to withdraw from the bout.

In a recent episode of the Outta Pocket with RGIII podcast, Poirier got honest about McGregor potentially returning to action against all odds. 'The Diamond' backed his longtime rival to be able to make it happen and said:

"Look, I love to talk trash about Conor. But if anybody can put it together and come back, this guy can. I’m not saying anybody, but this guy can. He’s special. He has something special."

Answering a question about what he would do in McGregor's shoes, Poirier continued:

"I love when the chips are down. I love when I'm the dog, my back's against the wall. I would use that as the motivation and just push forward with that... Coming back from a broken leg, coming back from a few losses, everybody writing me off, that would be my motivation because I love that stuff."

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Chael Sonnen explains why Conor McGregor should face Michael Chandler on his return

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler were roped in as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 31 reality show in 2023. At the end of the season, McGregor and Chandler were booked for a fight at UFC 303, but the Irishman was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Given that Chandler has been McGregor's rival for a while, Chael Sonnen believes 'Iron' makes for the perfect opponent for McGregor's return. In a video uploaded to Instagram, Sonnen explained his point and said:

"There is no marketing vehicle that has ever been created in our sport more powerful than the Ultimate Fighter. They did The Ultimate Fighter."