Conor McGregor has made plenty of bitter enemies in the UFC, but his rivalry with Dustin Poirier always felt different. ‘The Notorious’ first crossed paths with ‘The Diamond’ at UFC 178, where McGregor walked away victorious. They shared mutual respect in their rematch at UFC 257, which Poirier won. Then came the trilogy at UFC 264, and everything turned personal. Even after the fight, where the Irishman left the arena with a broken foot, he had nothing but harsh words for his opponent. Almost five years later, though, that bitter rivalry seems to have faded away.

Last year, the Louisiana native laid his MMA gloves down in front of his home crowd at UFC 318. After losing his trilogy bout to Max Holloway, ‘The Diamond’ stepped into a new chapter as an analyst. These days, Poirier is enjoying life away from the cage, spending time with his family and caring for his daughter and newborn son. Sharing a wholesome moment, the former interim lightweight champion posted a photo of himself holding his son Kingston inside his T-shirt. Noticing the picture, Conor McGregor could not resist dropping two kind words in the comments. 

Conor McGregor shares a surprising comment for Dustin Poirier

“Dad life is in full swing on this side! #PaidInFull,” Dustin Poirier captioned the photo on Instagram, on which Conor commented, “Congrats bro 👊” That response from McGregor surprised many fans, especially considering how intense their rivalry once was. Still, this small gesture showed a softer side of a feud that used to be fueled by pure hostility. And truthfully, even at the peak of their rivalry, both men had moments where respect quietly surfaced.

After ‘The Diamond’ knocked out Benoit Saint Denis at the UFC 299 co-main event, Conor McGregor praised his rival’s performance on social media. Impressed by the finish, ‘The Notorious’ posted, “Great fight out of them French boys tonight! Toutes nos félicitations @DustinPoirier @BenoitSt_Denis @EmmanuelMacron.” That post made it clear that while the former champ carried animosity, he also respected Poirier’s warrior mindset.

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The respect did not flow in only one direction. Dustin Poirier spoke on the OUTTA POCKET WITH RG3 AND Grete podcast last year about how much he admired McGregor’s success as a global superstar. He highlighted ‘The Notorious’ boxing Floyd Mayweather, returning to the Octagon, and using his fame to build multiple successful businesses.

So even though their rivalry was bitter and personal, both fighters clearly acknowledged each other’s achievements. And now, with the former two-division champion publicly showing warmth toward his old rival, McGregor’s own comeback story appears to be entering a very interesting phase.

‘The Notorious’ vs Michael Chandler fight in shambles ahead of UFC White House

Ahead of the UFC’s still unofficial White House event, Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler had emerged as the most desired potential headliner. Both fighters coached The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 and were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 303. Because of that history, it felt natural to bring the matchup back for the June 14 spectacle. But Dana White appears to have other plans.

“No, that was a couple of years ago,” the UFC CEO told Complex when asked about McGregor vs Chandler at the White House event. That comment came as a surprise to fans, as one of the most anticipated fights of the year suddenly looked unlikely. Still, ‘The Notorious’ did not waste time responding. He quickly took to social media to make it clear he remains open to any challenge.

“Pick who ya want!. The Mac sweats nothing and nobody. I’m TASTY SHOTS,” McGregor posted on X.

With the Michael Chandler fight seemingly off the table, several new opponents have started to enter the conversation for the biggest star’s long-awaited return. And recently, Jorge Masvidal added more fuel to the fire by teasing a potential clash with ‘The Notorious’ at the UFC White House.

So with major developments unfolding ahead of the White House event, do you think Conor McGregor will actually headline the projected card? Let us know in the comments section below.