2 of Conor McGregor's rivals want to fight each other and it limits his options for an elite comeback opponent

• Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz apparently want to fight in the UFC this summer.
• American fighter Poirier even recently told reporters he's ready to sign a deal straight away.

Dustin Poirier is confident he'll fight Nate Diaz this year, but if that match comes to fruition, it severely limits Conor McGregor's comeback options as they're both his biggest rivals.

"I want the fight, and he wants it, as well," American MMA fighter Poirier said last weekend, according to MMA Junkie.

Poirier, 33, is one of the biggest stars on the UFC's roster and has run a gauntlet for almost five years, competing against the likes of Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, Dan Hooker, and Conor McGregor.

In that time, his only losses were to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019 and Charles Oliveira in December.

Poirier is looking to rebound from that defeat to UFC lightweight champion Oliveira, and has targeted Diaz — a combat sports cult hero who has lost twice against just one win since returning in 2019 from a three-year layoff.

Poirier said he's ready to sign a deal, such is his enthusiasm for the fight. "On my side, let's go. On his side and the UFC's, they have to get it figured out. But I'm ready to rock."

He continued: "I think there's a good chance it's going to happen. I think summer is a good target if I had to put one on the calendar. I'm not sure, but I have a good feeling is going to happen.

"I'm not sure if I'm going to stay at 170 pounds, but this fight makes sense. I just want to be in fights that mean something to me.

"Nate is a guy that I grew up watching fight. I respect him and his brother [Nick]. I think stylistically, it's a fun fight for the fans. This is a Fight of the Year-type of fight, and those are the fights I want to be a part of."

Such a match-up could have a significant impact on McGregor

Should UFC boss Dana White rubber-stamp a welterweight fight between Poirier and Diaz for the summer they both become unavailable for McGregor's expected comeback.

The former two-weight UFC champion has not fought since he suffered a horror leg break in a second successive defeat to Poirier last year, but is rumored to return in a headlining bout in July at International Fight Week in Las Vegas.

McGregor had been champing at the bit to fight Poirier for a fourth time, to try and seek vengeance for his recent defeats.

But he also has unfinished business with Diaz, too, as their two-fight rivalry has yielded a win and a loss each.

Elsewhere at lightweight, the titleholder Oliveira defends his crown against Gaethje at UFC 274 on May 7.

It leaves few realistic opponents for McGregor aside from Tony Ferguson, who has lost three fights in a row, in what could be regarded as a win-or-go-home type of event.

McGregor is currently ninth in the UFC's lightweight rankings. Ferguson is seventh.