Yahoo Sports Conor McGregor organizes charity fight with Dustin Poirier despite Dana White arranging same match
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier went back-and-forth on Twitter this week discussing the possibility of a charity match.
Now, with that match announced by McGregor, UFC president Dana White said he offered them a fight on the official books and is waiting to hear back.
McGregor options charity fight to Poirier
McGregor announced that the exhibition charity match would take place in Dublin on Dec. 12. It’s being put on by McGregor Sports and Entertainment in association with The Good Fight, a nonprofit in Louisiana started by Poirier and his wife, Jolie.
Martial art sparring match in aid of charity. Dublin, December 12th 2020.
Free to air spar. McGregor vs Poirier.
List of chosen charities available soon. All donations welcome ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cLfFbQ0IJF— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 30, 2020
The idea of a charity fight started when McGregor argued with an ESPN MMA panel discussing his willingness to “fight anybody.” When Poirier retweeted him, McGregor reached out and asked to do a charity fight “zero to do with the UFC.”
Hey bro! You want to do an MMA charity fight? Zero to do with the ufc. I will donate half a mill towards your charity for it. Sell it on ppv or work a tv deal and we work out other charities that are close to my heart also. I am engaged in many.
Strictly a charity “exhibition”— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 29, 2020
McGregor offered to donate $500,000 to Poirier’s charity and to pay for travel fare for his family. Poirier accepted.
I'm in! Lets do it! A lot of people will benefit from this @TheGoodFightFDN https://t.co/Hy0ZlPFyFv
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) September 29, 2020
White: UFC offered McGregor, Poirier fight
White said on the “Spinnin Backfist” podcast that the promotion offered the two a fight and is waiting to hear back.
“(Conor) called out Poirier for a fight with (him) in Dublin for charity,” White said. “So we offered them both a fight. We offered Dustin and Conor a fight, so we’re waiting to hear back from both of them.”
On Wednesday, Poirier posted “I accept” on his Instagram story without any context.
It would be the second fight between the two lightweights. McGregor won the first bout via first-round knockout at UFC 178 in September of 2014.
McGregor, 32, has been off since January. He defeated Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in his first fight since the October 2018 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Poirier, 31, was supposed to fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 254 but the contract was never finalized. He last fought in June, a unanimous decision win over Dan Hooker.
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