After plenty of lobbying, Dustin Poirier got his much-desired fight against the always-vocal Conor McGregor at UFC 178, which went down this past September in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Unfortunately, the fight didn't go as Dustin would have hoped, as McGregor knocked him out in the very first round (video), putting to an end months and months of trash talk in only a matter of minutes.
Admitting he was truly heartbroken with the loss, Dustin says he has moved forward, but admits getting over the defeat is something that likely won't happen, as the loss will always be on his record.
"I don't know if I'm ever going to be over it. It's a loss on my record and it hurt me," said Dustin during his interview on The MMA Hour. "But I accepted it and I am moving on and it's just part of the journey."
"Every time I lose it hurts," he said. "But this one really hurt. I was very prepared, I didn't cut any corners and I pushed myself harder than I ever have in the gym. I was very prepared to fight and perform well, it just didn't go my way that night. That's what hurt; I didn't get to show who I am."
Prior to the bout, the two men exchanged verbal barbs at one another which only increased the animosity and hatred between them. And while many believe it isn't wise to go into a bout filled with emotions, Poirier doesn't think that had anything to do with his performance.
"I don't know, that's hard to say. I care about this a lot, and I always fight and get into the ring and fight very emotionally. It's more than just a fight to me every time I fight. I don't think it got to me, man, I just think I got caught."
While "Diamond" was quick to question whether or not Conor deserved so much hype and media attention, he never questioned his abilities as a fighter. "Nah, going into the fight, I never thought he was going to be an easy fight or thought that he wasn't good," proclaimed Dustin. "I knew he was a good fighter and he is here for a reason."
Still, despite the first-round loss, Poirier is confident that if given a rematch -- much like this guy -- he knows he can defeat the Irishman. "I still think I cant beat him. That night just wasn't my night, and I didn't get a chance to fight him. I got caught early and he put me away really quick," said Poirier.
"It sucks because I was prepared to fight and beat him, and I still think I can."
While a rematch between the two talented featherweights wouldn't be a bad idea, Conor is flying high at the moment and on the cusp of a division title shot.
First, he must get past Dennis Siver in the main event of UFC Fight Night 59, which goes down at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Jan. 18, 2015. A "favorable" fight Poirier says UFC gave to Conor for the sole purpose of getting more experience.
As for Dustin himself, he will have to string together a few impressive wins before he can get another shot at derailing the "Notorious' hype train.
Anyone have any good recommendations as a starting point for "Diamond?"