Dustin Poirier has admitted his rival Conor McGregor looks "puffy" after his recent 35lb weight gain in the aftermath of their clash in July.
'The Diamond' secured his second consecutive defeat over McGregor after the Irish star suffered a broken leg injury in the opening round of their UFC 264 duel.
McGregor has now made a return to training with a new larger physique as he is eyeing a UFC comeback in 2022.
His rival Poirier has mocked his weight gain and called for the Irishman to slow down on the "Black Forge" which is the UFC star's pub he owns.
“I did see a picture,” Poirier said to Michael Bisping. “He does look a little puffy, man. He might want to slow down on the Black Forge, whatever he’s got going on.
“He talks a lot of s*** man, I don't make much of it." - The Mirror UK reports.
Poirier has been a nemesis for the Irish star this year having beaten him twice this year cementing his status as the leading contender for the UFC lightweight title.
The American will cash in on his world title credentials as he faces Charles Oliveira for the 155lb crown at UFC 269.
Meanwhile McGregor is plotting his recovery path after suffering the third defeat in his last four fights earlier this year.
With just two fights remaining on his current deal with the UFC, McGregor will be seeking immediate redemption in a bid to return to the pinnacle of the sport.
He has faced a significant decline which has now left him ranked No.9 in the lightweight category with the threat of dropping out of the top 10 looming.
Despite his declining ranking, McGregor is still recognised as one of the leading superstars in the promotion having sold eight of the top ten highest grossing pay-per-view cards.
As a result he has demanded an immediate title shot on his return which is likely to be held by the winner of Oliveira's showdown with Poirier.
UFC legend Chael Sonnen is concerned that McGregor's new weight could be a hinderance to any shot at the lightweight comeback, by effectively ruling out his world title ambitions.
So there is this picture floating around of Conor McGregor looking bigger than we have ever seen him weighing something like 190lbs," Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. "And if he does in fact weigh one hundred and ninety pounds, he should not be going down to 155.
"First off, that picture of Conor, he did not look great. Conor is chiseled man. There’s clothing people that pay Conor to wear their stuff. He’s got this fantastic build. That picture of him at 190lbs, I can’t give those same compliments.
"He looked like he was extremely bloated. And when somebody weighs 190 – that’s used to weighing 155, 175; what you have to wonder is how. How did you get this big? Why? The answer to me seems redundantly obvious. You’re not training."
"If you’re not doing our sport, who gives a damn what you weigh? If your calorie deficit to intake got so far out of control, that you’re bigger than you’ve ever been, that’s not a good thing.”
