With McGregor set to return to action later this summer, ex-rival Dustin Poirier has opened the door to a fourth meeting with the former two-division champion17:54, 28 May 2026Dustin Poirier admits he would consider trading leather with Conor McGregor for a fourth time.‌The two stars first met back in 2014 at UFC 178 - with McGregor needing just over a minute to get the job done. Both men enjoyed two successful careers since their initial clash in Las Vegas. A year later, the Irishman would go on to knock Jose Aldo out to win the featherweight title.‌In 2016, McGregor became the first simultaneous two-division champion after winning the lightweight gold belt following a second round knockout over Eddie Alvarez. As for Poirier, the American eventually moved up to lightweight and had a rather glittering time at 155lb - which included an interim title triumph over Max Holloway.‌Seven years on from their first clash, McGregor and Poirier met for a second time. The 'Diamond' would sensationally go on to become the first fighter to ever knock the Irishman out after a brutal second round stoppage. Just months later, the two stars were back in the cage for a third time, and it was Poirier who settled the rivalry once and for all with a first round victory after the 'Notorious' suffered a nasty leg break.FOLLOW OUR FIGHTING FB PAGE! Latest boxing and MMA news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page‌McGregor has not fought since, but is expected to return later this summer when he takes on Max Holloway in a welterweight showdown at UFC 329 on July 11. Poirier, meanwhile, retired from MMA last year after being outpointed by Holloway in his farewell fight. That said, he has refused to shut the door on yet another meeting with his bitter foe. “If it was realistic and they called me and said, ‘Hey,’ I would probably get back in the drug-testing protocol and get licensed again, yeah,” Poirier told the Weighing In podcast.Fans are wondering just how McGregor will fare in his comeback - with many believing he is past his best and faces a tough challenge in the shape of Holloway. Poirier, though, is willing to give the Irishman - who turns 38 three days after UFC 329 - a puncher's chance. “Yeah, I don’t think Conor’s going to look as bad as Nate [Diaz at MVP MMA], that was really bad,” Poirier continued.“I think the punching power’s going to be there regardless. Conor’s going to come back from the injury and still have that natural punching power. The question for me is the timing, the athleticism, the movement, all those questions need to be answered. I don’t know. We haven’t seen him, so I don’t know. If his counter-punching and his timing is anywhere near what it was, he has a chance to beat Max.Article continues below“Look, I love Max, but the career he’s had and the longevity he’s had, he’s touched the canvas in his last three fights. That’s more than he’s touched it in his entire career. I just think time’s catching up with him. He’s still a young man, but he’s taken a lot of shots, and Conor can punch. No matter how long he’s been out, he still has the great equalizer and that’s power. Some guys are born with it.”