Dustin Poirier insists he is not motivated by revenge ahead of his rematch with Conor McGregor.
Poirier was knocked out in the first round by McGregor in 2014 with the rivals embarking on diverging paths since then.
McGregor went on to become a two-weight world champion before losing to Floyd Mayweather in a boxing ring.
Poirier has lost just twice in 12 fights since, but fell short in his only UFC title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019.
The American must now overcome McGregor at the second attempt to keep alive his hopes of a second shot at the 155lb belt.
But he insists: "This isn't about payback; this isn't a revenge fight for me.
"Of course those things are great. I go out there and beat him, those are all part of this storyline, [they’re] things I’m going to think about and be happy with, but that’s not the driving force of each day.
"I’m driven by the main goal: becoming the world champion, being the best. I know that a win over a guy like this, at this point of our careers, it etches my name in the history books - on its own page.
"I’m in the books. I’m in the honorable mentions right now. I’m trying get my own numbered page. I think a win over this guy does that and cements me as a legitimate combat sports professional in a time that’s full of great athletes: Conor, Khabib.
"It’s so much history involved in this fight. The full circle, fighting him again now, becoming the interim champ, switching weight classes.
"[There’s] so much going into this that I know what a win does not only for me and for my legacy, but for my family, their future financially. I know what comes with a win, and I’m ready to bear that weight at this point in my career."
