Report: Dustin Poirier is injured and off UFC 230 against Nate Diaz
Hours after the UFC moved to improve its UFC 230 card in Madison Square Garden, the most anticipated fight of the night is off.
Lightweight Dustin Poirier, who was to fight Stockton’s Nate Diaz in a co-main-event, has withdrawn, according to several reports, with an undisclosed injury.
UFC President Dana White confirmed Poirier is injured and off the card to the Los Angeles Times but he didn’t respond to the questions if Diaz will remain on the card or who he’ll fight if he does.
White texted The Times late Tuesday and said, “Diaz also will not fight on the card.”
The news broke just after White told the network he’ll headline the Nov. 3 Madison Square Garden card with two-division champion Daniel Cormier’s first heavyweight title defense, against No. 2-rated Derrick Lewis.
Louisiana’s Poirier (24-5), the UFC’s No. 3-rated lightweight who’s gone unbeaten in his last five fights with one no-contest, further enlivened his showdown with Diaz on social media by arguing over Diaz’s push to make the fight a catch-weight bout at 165 pounds.
White has said he doesn’t want to create a new 165-pound division and was resistant to the request of Diaz, whom White has long battled.
Diaz (20-11) hasn’t fought since losing a narrow decision in his classic August 2016 rematch against Conor McGregor in Las Vegas.
Twitter: @latimespugmire
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