Dustin Poirier: UFC Told Me to Keep Preparing for May 16 Fight in San Diego

Dustin Poirier and the Ultimate Fighting Championship seem to have differing views regarding the promotion’s upcoming schedule during the coronavirus pandemic.

Once word got out that Khabib Nurmagomedov would be unable to leave Russia to compete at UFC 249 due to travel restrictions in the country, Dustin Poirier quickly offered to step in against Tony Ferguson on April 18.

I just threw it out there….that I’m open,” Poirier told ESPN. “I’m not out here begging for fights, but if they need somebody and nobody’s taking it at 155 or nobody’s ready, then I’ll do it. Any chance I get on a big fight like that, I’m always down.”

Poirier is currently supposed to face Dan Hooker in the UFC Fight Night 175 headliner in San Diego on May 16. According to Poirier, promotion officials told him to keep getting ready for that bout.

“They told me keep preparing for what I’m supposed to be preparing for, and they’ll let me know what’s going on. That’s it,” Poirier said. “They just told me to keep preparing for May.”

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the entire world into a state of uncertainty, and that includes the realm of professional sports. UFC president Dana White has vowed that UFC 249 will go on as planned, even as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Even if UFC 249 does take place, there’s no guarantee as to what happens beyond that.

Poirier isn’t feeling too good about the prospect of UFC San Diego happening on its scheduled date.

“I don’t think so. I really don’t,” Poirier said. “I don’t have that feeling.”

And even if Poirier does square off against Hooker on May 16, it’s unlikely that “The Diamond” will be in peak form.

"Honestly, there's no way to properly prepare," he said. "I have my own personal gym here in Louisiana, and I can go hit the bags. I have two buddies who I train with there that are social-distancing themselves, as well, so I kind of trust them to not bring the fungus among us in my gym, but other than that, I'm there hitting the bag or rolling with those guys or I'm in my house.

"I can jog and stuff, I can get in shape, but to be fine-tuned for a fight at the highest level, I can't do it. I don't know what my opponent is doing, if he's not being able to train. So May seems like a push, but we'll see.”